599 Comments

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• 301.mshiniwami:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:25 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-290:

  O’Connor hasnt looked dangerous really all year. Had flashes at the Force but was playing 10 mostly.

  Test season,he aint sh*t so far.Habana returning to form.Habana on defense/scramble is still best on the planet.

• 302.Gunther:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:27 am

  @>^..^< katman(katman)-288:

  oh well.

  we all have to overcome our hurdles in life.

• 303.rossoneri:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:29 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-290: Digby Ione and JPP will keep eachother busy on Sunday.

• 304.ufo:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:29 am

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-299:

  valid points all mshini…

  if it had been up to me… i would’ve ensured o’connor started at 10 for the force… and hope he does just that for the rebels…

  establish himself as a flyhalf and let him and cooper duke it out for the starting spot…

  yeah… call me crazy… but having those two calling the shots would be the most dynamic flyhalf combo ever… if cooper is off you have o’conner to sub… or vice verse…

  due to his talent… the force and aus have done a ‘sharks’ on him like they did to frans and ruan… and never allowed him to settle at his preferred position which he said early on was flyhalf… it may have changed since then but i think his choice of franchise says he still wants to play 10…

• 305.Transformation:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:30 am

  @ufo(ufo)-295: point is you lost it when you said jpp will have to watch bieber like a fish hoek shark, why would he be watching o’connor when ioane will be the one whizzing past him?

• 306.>^..^< katman:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:32 am

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-303: I don’t know what to make of that statement. Are they more than friends?

• 307.ufo:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:33 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-305:

  yeah bud… like i said… was commenting on mshini’s comparative post…

  how come you don’t address the original error…??

• 308.once more unto the breach, dear springboks, once more...:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:33 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-305:
  because ioane is niggly

• 309.rossoneri:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:33 am

  Devil’s Spawn Speaks!

  Australian boss O’Neill wades into IRB row

  Australian rugby boss John O’Neill says the Sanzar alliance is tighter than ever due to the IRB’s refusal to fully acknowledge their concerns about the financial future of the Rugby World Cup.

  O’Neill went on the offensive today after making a surprise appearance at the Wallabies’ team announcement, where he described IRB boss Mike Miller’s comments that the All Blacks could be replaced at a World Cup as “nonsensical”.

  ”Threatening to boycott a World Cup is not our style, but equally the notion that any team is replaceable is nonsensical,” O’Neill said. “A World Cup without the All Blacks, the Wallabies or Springboks, I’m not sure you would be calling it a World Cup.”

  Seated next to Australian coach Robbie Deans, O’Neill stole some of the thunder from the naming of the Wallabies’ quarterfinal line up to play South Africa.

  He claimed some parties were attempting to turn the debate over the financial model of the World Cup into a battle between the northern and southern hemispheres rather than the real concerns.

  “That has brought us [Sanzar] together in a very unified way. It’s not frivolous, it’s a very serious matter,” he said. “Let’s get away from the hurly-burly of the tournament and sit down and resolve those issues together and not get caught in a divide and conquer, north versus south debate, which I think is the objective of some people.”

  O’Neill repeated New Zealand Rugby Union boss Steve Tew’s assertion that the World Cup was becoming unaffordable for the Sanzar partners to attend, costing the ARU AUD$16 million in lost revenue.

  He said Miller’s comment that Sanzar’s losses did not account for money distributed by the IRB in the four years between tournaments was wrong.

  “I saw Mike Miller said, ‘the Sanzar countries haven’t taken into account the money we give them during the four years between World Cups’ – well that $16 million is net of what we get from the IRB.

  ”It’s a very easily calculated and supported figure and the Sanzar countries together it’s $38 million.”

  Asked if Australia would consider pulling out of the next World Cup if things did not change, O’Neill said: ”There’s a great saying I picked up from a South African and that was ‘we’ll double-cross that bridge when we get to it.”’

  O’Neill also backed calls by International Rugby Players Association boss Rob Nichol for the IRB to revamp its governance to become more competitive in the global marketplace.

  ”Democracy means different things to different people. As we do with our own organisation we are constantly trying to improve governance and management…

  ”If I apply that to the IRB I think, and it’s not a criticism, but a piece of common sense… everyone has to move with the times.

  ”It’s time we had a serious look at the management and governance structures of the IRB.”

  O’Neill’s intention may have been to simply show his support, but Deans looked slightly perplexed and the comments are sure to take at least some of the attention off the naming of a full-strength Wallabies XV.

  Fullback Kurtley Beale, wing Digby Ioane and second five-eighth Pat McCabe all return from injuries as the side that started the tournament opener against Italy was reunited, with exception of benched centre Anthony Fainga’a.

  - Stuff

• 310.rossoneri:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:34 am

  @>^..^< katman(katman)-306: You know what I meant!

• 311.wpstormerbok:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:34 am

  I’m near done with all the speculation and debate.

  Heart says BOKS by 8, Head says BOKS by 3.

  The I TOLD YOU SO brigade will have a field day should we not make it.

  But so what? Life will go on and whoever wins the WC will be worthy champions.

  Unless the ref misses a forward pass.

• 312.Transformation:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:35 am

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-301: 2 games against fiji and namibia don’t mean zilch, habana’s so-called “return to form” is a myth.

• 313.Transformation:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:37 am

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-301: as for pace, o’connor certainly burnt some gas to haul tommy bowe

• 314.Transformation:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:40 am

  @ufo(ufo)-307: mshini’s post was fine…bieber is a 14 and jpp is a 14…but you made the Helen-sque gaffe of saying jpp will have to watch o’bieber like a fishhoek shark

• 315.Gunther:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:41 am

  @>^..^< katman(katman)-306:

  you see that’s how these rumours start.

  next thing you know they will be exchanging monogrammed gumshields.

• 316.rossoneri:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:42 am

  John Smit doesn’t put the wind up Wallabies
  GREG GROWDEN

  Last updated 05:00 07/10/2011

  Usually when a test skipper returns to an opposition lineup there is cause for concern. But there was no sense of alarm within the Wallabies camp yesterday when they found out that Springboks skipper John Smit would be hooking against them during Sunday’s semifinal.

  While admiring Smit’s vast experience, privately some within the Wallabies camp believe the 2007 World Cup-winning skipper is past his best, and now believe Bismarck du Plessis is the more formidable rake in the South African squad.

  The debate over whether Smit or du Plessis should be the starting hooker has been a tense discussion point in South Africa for some time, and du Plessis certainly has his admirers among those in the Wallabies squad, who have played against him at test and Super Rugby level and been impressed by his dynamic and often aggressive play.

  However, Wallabies tighthead prop Ben Alexander, the designated spokesman for the Australian forward contingent yesterday, opted against buying into the argument, instead explaining they would be confronting both during the match.

  ”They are two of the best hookers in the world,” Alexander said. ”John brings the experience, and has won everything there is to win, while he is a huge man. And having Bismarck coming on late in the game, with his massive skill set, only increases the challenge we have this weekend.”

  It will be a challenge, but at least the Wallabies’ pack has shown this season it is able to counter the Springboks scrummaging well during both their Sydney and Durban triumphs.

  ”It was good. We were happy in Durban that we kept hammering at them, and finally got a bit of pay for the hard work we put in. But we can’t read anything into that at all,” Alexander said.

  ”The Springboks are scrummaging much better and are much harder as a pack now. When we played those blokes in Durban, it was their first game for quite a while. And we know, their scrum has definitely been a weapon for them during the World Cup. No doubt they’ll be looking at it as a weapon this weekend.”

  Alexander is also eager to keep onside with New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence, who is officiating the quarterfinal. Lawrence will have refereed Australia three times in their past five games, including their pool loss to Ireland in Auckland.

  ”All you can ask from a referee is to be consistent and he was. He’s always been like that. I’ve never been penalised (by Lawrence) and wondered what it was for. If you do something wrong, you accept that you have to be penalised, but if you do something right, you also want to be rewarded. Bryce did that. Ireland scrummed well, and they were rewarded. We scrummed poorly, and we were penalised,” Alexander said.

  ”In Durban we scrummed well, and Bryce rewarded us that day. He’s one of the best at scrum time, definitely. We know what to expect. We’ve had him plenty of times.”

  - Sydney Morning Herald

• 317.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:42 am

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-309: So even the Ozzies agree winning the world cup in 1987 and 1991 cannot be called a World Cup Win

• 318.Stawm:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:43 am

  Skop

  You definitely know your game dont you, your predictions the day before the Fiji game come to mind.

  As stated above, broken watch, broken record is what you are.

• 319.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:43 am

  Keo has given the Ozzies the kiss of death by supporting them.

• 320.ufo:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:43 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-314:

  cool transie… made a mistake… not the first time and won’t be the last…

  misread mshini’s post…

  not to proud or stuck on my high horse to acknowledge and apologise…

  apologies mshini…!!

  and thank you transie for taking the time to point it out till i got it…!!

  

• 321.mshiniwami:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:48 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-313:

  Tommy Bowe is a carthorse. Plus O’Connor had the angle on him.There is try on supersport where O’Connor scores for Force,he needed to weave about 10 times not be caught by average joes speed wise. Had that been Keith Earls or even Luke Fitzgerald that would have been a try.Had it had been Habs oconnor wouldnt have even bothered chasing. Bowe comes of his wing well,runs good support lines but he is no speedster.Spies would catch Bowe.

• 322.danuk:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:51 am

  @>^..^< katman(katman)-296: Brilliant!

• 323.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 11:54 am

  Do you think all this punting Butch James’s book will end if the Boks beat the Wannabies????

• 324.Transformation:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:01 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-321: well didn’t habana have the angle scrambling to reign in carthorse extraordinare JIMMY COWAN in P.E? much of muchness as you like to say.

  let’s give kudos where they are due…o’connor is o’connor and not horan in the same way habana is not ray mordt or any other brilliant saffa winger of old.

• 325.Boks_B_to_win_RWC_2011:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:07 pm

  the same way habana is not ray mordt or any other brilliant saffa winger of old.

  GIVE THAT MAN A BLACK LABEL!!!

• 326.>^..^< katman:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:07 pm

  @Airwell(Airwell)-323: Probably not. They still need to break even, at the very least.

  All I do know is that a book deal backed by keo’s HSM is the kiss of death for a player’s Bok ambitions. Luke, Butch… who’s next? If keo flogs your biography, the bench, at best, is your glass ceiling.

• 327.David:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:12 pm

  @Airwell(Airwell)-323:
  You must be joking. They’ll say Butch came and added some life to the backs, and should have been there from the beginning. Besides he he’s a must to start against the Argies (sorry ABs)!

• 328.Test:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:17 pm

  @Puma(Puma)-133: Defence may win world cups but you need balance as Jake White discovered (just in time) in 2007. If we hadnt developed our attacking game more in 2007 we would not have won. Also we have not been competitive enough at the breakdowns and when Bakkies was in form he used to do a lot of cleaning in that area which we have missed out on lately. You cant let your opposition have all the possession especially a good attacking team, we need to starve Aus of possession. Hopefully the boks will bring their A game on Sunday.

• 329.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:19 pm

  @>^..^< katman(katman)-326: At least we know that the Wannabies are going to loose now that Keo has predicted them to win. It takes alot of stress out of Sunday for me now.

• 330.David:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:27 pm

  @Test(Test)-328:
  You’re quite right. We’ve been counter rucked far to often and don’t seem to be able to do the same. Rather than look for an opportunity to counter ruck we fall back into our defensive lines far too early. Spies doesn’t even bother to get stuck in, he just retreats to a defensive position.

• 331.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:28 pm

  @Test(Test)-328: I see on ESP Cricket the Gary Kirsten sais the Proteas must stratagise around the chocking problem. The All Blacks new coach will be saying the same thing soon.

• 332.J.B. Cowper:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:36 pm

  Don’t agree with Keo at all – no bigger liar than statistics – Wallabies have edged an under-performing Boks side in recent years; this Bok side is firing – we’ll see; Boks to go through – NZ populace believe that and for that reason are shouting Australia. We’ll win the game at forward – Pocock has not had to confront Brussouw – that is only one of the differences and the Irish forwards showed how to beat them – the change will come when our impact players come on.

  Morne to do the conversions – Boks by more than 7 points.

• 333.ufo:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:39 pm

  Happy Birthday TuTuuuu
  Happy Birthday TuTuuuu
  Happy BIRTHday Dear Desmond
  HAAAPpy Birthday to you…!!

• 334.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:41 pm

  @J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-332: Agree 100% and the cherry on top Keo’s prediction

• 335.Heavens Game:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:46 pm

  The headline to this video, which I haven’t watched yet, is the best news I have had all week.

  REJOICE!

  Keo thinks Wobblies will win.

  KISS OF DEATH HAPPINESS!!!

• 336.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:48 pm

  @J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-332: I was in New Zealand for the 1st two games and I promise you every AB supporter I met supports anyone but Australia. And if they were going to lose it would only be slightly acceptable if it was to the bokke. The other interesting thing about the country is how much the Moaris hate the white New Zealanders as the believe that they stole their country from them. I actually found alot of them support the bokke over the AB’s for this reason. But I was trully impressed with the country very beautiful and real friendly helpfull people. But Australia another story, how anybody leaves South Africa to live there is beyond me.

• 337.Heavens Game:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:48 pm

  The relief is palpable…

  Weight lifted off my shoulders.

  Think I might go for an early “work lunch” and have a few boolies to celebrate.

• 338.Esoteric:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:49 pm

  @J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-332: Keo uses statistics like a drunk man uses a light post, for support, rather than enlightenment.

• 339.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-337: I had the same reaction.

• 340.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:52 pm

  @Airwell(Airwell)-336: After the Fiji Game because the Irish had beaten the Ozzies and we had beaten Fiji there was a huge party in Wellington as both the Bok and AB supporters were so stoked.

• 341.Esoteric:
  7 Oct 2011, 12:56 pm

  @Airwell(Airwell)-336: The other interesting thing about the country is how much the Moaris hate the white New Zealanders as the believe that they stole their country from them.

  How long were you here Airwell and how many Maori did you speak to? That is quite a broad, sweeping statement that you’ve made there.

• 342.fantasticbarnsmell:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:00 pm

  @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-301: there is nothing Habana can do that Hougaard can’t do better. Hougaard reeling in Israel Dagg for the cover tackle in the PE game was one example.

• 343.Esoteric:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:01 pm

  @fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-342: Forgive me for butting in here but… One example is exactly what it is… One example.

  Sure, he is good but he can prove himself on another stage, RWC is not it.

• 344.once more unto the breach, dear springboks, once more...:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:05 pm

  @Airwell(Airwell)-340:
  the bok and ab supporters were stoked to have oz join them in a three way knockout decider to get to the final? jeez, you guys must have been really pissed after the game.

• 345.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:08 pm

  @once more unto the breach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-344: We were but not for that reason it was that our teams we had supported had won and we were living the moment if that makes sense. Wellington has never rocked like that ever.

• 346.Sharkie10:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:09 pm

  This negativity is exactly what the Springboks dont need, maybe the odds are stacked against us, and even though Ireland beat the Ausies, we still underdogs.
  Which is great, it will just make the sweet taste of victory so much sweeter, and shut Keo and his hooligans up. The Springboks have what it take to win this World Cup, i have no doubt it. It does not matter what happened in the past matches or the Tri Nations, Stats and History stand for nothing at this stage of the tournament. Its all about what happens on the day, and i believe the Boks are passionate enough, to want this and pitch up on the day and go all the way.

  Bokke!!!!!

• 347.Airwell:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:11 pm

  @Esoteric(Esoteric)-341: I spoke to more than 10 as they are really friendly but even the white guys I spoke to about it accept that there is a level of anomosity about it. It was not a statistical sample it was my experience.

• 348.Boksarenumber3:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:22 pm

  Boks playing currie cup next weekend

• 349.fantasticbarnsmell:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:24 pm

  @Esoteric(Esoteric)-343: point taken, however are you suggesting that Habana is currently the better choice for wing than Hougaard?

• 350.Boksarenumber3:
  7 Oct 2011, 13:26 pm

  Fok PDV

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