Heaslip skipper as Strauss starts
8 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in Dublin, reports Jamie Heaslip has been named Ireland captain for Saturday’s Test against the Springboks, while South Africa-born Richardt Strauss will make his Test debut.
O’Connell’s withdrawal compounds an already desperate situation for the hosts, who are without Brian O’Driscoll, Rory Best, Stephen Ferris, Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney.
O’Connell initially looked likely to overcome a back injury in time to be considered for selection but suffered a recurrence in training on Wednesday and will be assessed by a specialist today.
Strauss has served his required three-year residency and the former Cheetahs man lines up against his cousin, Adriaan, in the front row. ‘I made my commitment to Ireland three years ago and i’m just very happy to have gotten to this point,’ Strauss said. ‘It’s special to run out for Ireland. I would have taken it if it was against an U13 B team, so the opposition doesn’t really matter.’
Kidney added: ‘A guy like Richardt has done well after picking up his things and come over here. It wouldn’t have been easy but he fought his way to where he is now and he is a merit pick.’
Strauss’s Leinster team-mates Mike Ross and Cian Healy shook off injury concerns to start complete the front row. In the back division, Simon Zebo takes over from Kearney at fullback, while Keith Earls fills the void left by O’Driscoll. ‘It was a case of getting the form players onto the pitch,’ Kidney explained. ‘All three of our back three have been going well and if South Africa stick to their kicking game they’ll be busy.’
Heaslip said they aimed to pin the Springboks in their territory. ‘The Springboks are pretty confrontational and make no bones about running at or over you. They look to provide nice quick ball to their backs from set or general play and try and get some tries off you. They can also punish you from penalties 50m out. They have to make sure we don’t give them outs inside their own half (tactical/clearing kicks) and when we have the ball we have to put them under pressure and see if they can live with us.’
The visitors have their own injury crisis, with a clutch of experienced players missing. Kidney, however, stressed this would not be as significant a factor as some believe it will be.
‘They’re the third ranked team in the world. The fact that they have a few knocks won’t matter, they have greater depth than us,’ he said. ‘They’ve gone well in the U20 World Championships and that is always a good platform to bring young players through. We probably don’t know as much about some of the younger lads as we do the more experienced players, which is a benefit to them.’
Ireland - 15 Simon Zebo, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Keith Earls, 12 Gordon D’Arcy, 11 Andrew Trimble, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip (c), 7 Chris Henry, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Mike McCarthy, 4 Donnacha Ryan, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Cian Healy.
Subs – 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Michael Bent, 19 Donncha O’Callaghan, 20 Iain Henderson, 21 Ronan O’Gara, 22 Eoin Reddan, 23 Fergus McFadden.
19 Comments
8 Nov 2012, 15:15 pm
Even with O’driscoll out, thats still a prety potent centre partnership.
Biggest losses here are Kearney, Ferris, OConnell and Best.
Otherwise not a bad looking side actually.
Boks will have to be sharp.
8 Nov 2012, 15:19 pm
@John Galt-1: Yup, Taute might get exposed with the speedy/ agile Earls out wide, D’Arcy is also a slick passer of the ball.
8 Nov 2012, 15:22 pm
‘Strauss has served his required three-year residency and the former Cheetahs man lines up against his cousin, Adriaan, in the second row. ‘
Since when is Strauss a lock Ryan? Come on man its not early morning or are you drunk off the Guinness?
8 Nov 2012, 15:27 pm
@Sasuke-3: Typo, been fixed.
8 Nov 2012, 15:29 pm
There back row and locks are weak. Boks will have advantage here.
8 Nov 2012, 15:30 pm
@Ryan-4: Shap Shap.
8 Nov 2012, 15:42 pm
I attached an article in this mornings ‘Irish Times’. At least an improvement from the Irish Journalists making a hellabaloo re. JP Pietersens press conference ‘gaffe’ earlier this week!!
TOUGH ENFORCER FAST-TRACKED INTO THE TEST SCENE
Gavin Cummiskey —- Thu, Nov 08, 2012
South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth during the squad’s training session at Blackrock College yesterday. photograph: Morgan Treacy/inpho
RUGBY : Bakkies Botha, perhaps the ultimate rugby gladiator, has departed the Test arena for Toulon but the tradition of Springbok enforcers wearing the number four jersey never missed a beat.
The nephew of Cliffie and Skattie Etzebeth, feared bar-room brawlers from the rough northern Cape Town suburb of Parow, has seen to that.
Meet Eben Etzebeth; the 21-year-old kid with a potentially perfect mixture of talent and agility and aggression.
The youtube collection is already growing for the latest gargantuan lock offered up by South African rugby.
Despite only graduating from the under-20 ranks this season – he faced Ireland twice during last year’s Junior World Cup – Etzebeth immediately went about tearing down the pillars of both Wallaby pack and South African scrum. And anyone else who looked at him sideways.
Household name status was achieved during last July’s Super Rugby semi-final between his beloved Stormers and the Sharks. Etzebeth received possession at first receiver in an upright position, therefore unable to build up a head of steam before Bismarck du Plessis thundered into him.
The world’s greatest hooker was knocked unconscious in the collision. It took another few metres before Bismarck’s brother Jannie and Willem Alberts – both starting forwards this Saturday – hauled him to ground.
The stadium and Stormers bench rose in unison as if celebrating victory. The reverberation was felt around the rugby world. “In South Africa people still talk about that but, I mean, that is how I like to play. I like running with the ball, it is always nice if you hand off another player.”
The retirement of legendary locking pair Victor Matfield and Botha, coupled with injury to Andries Bekker, his “mentor” at Western Province, saw him fast-tracked into the Test team for this year’s Rugby Championship.
Against Australia he went straight after centurion lock Nathan Sharpe, subsequently receiving a two-week suspension for head-butting that denied him a shot at the All Blacks in New Zealand.
It also prompted a dressing down from head coach Heyneke Meyer, but the man who coached Botha at the Blue Bulls was surely thinking one word during the lecture. Eureka! “Ya, he told me I mustn’t to it (again) otherwise I am going to get a bad reputation. I think what he did was the right thing but he always supports me and still backs me. I thank him for that.” So you learnt your lesson? “Ya, for sure. I won’t do it again!”
We tentatively asked about becoming the Springbok enforcer, about stepping into the role of intimidating opponents, which Botha happily embraced for nine long years. The answer was refreshingly blunt. “In South Africa if you play with the number four on your back it is your role to be an enforcer and try to influence play by hitting rucks and making big tackles. I know the responsibility of that.” So you like to let the opposition know you are there? “Ya, that is part of wearing number four.”
Warning has been served to Donnacha Ryan and whoever else wants a piece of him.
We ask about interests outside of rugby and he informs us rugby is everything. We ask about Cliffie and Skattie. “One of them (Cliffie) played for Western Province from 77 to 81 and they also played club rugby in Cape Town.”
There’s buckets of stories about the uncles late night activity. Here’s one. The famous South African administrator Danie “Doc” Craven asked Cliffie to “look after” former Springbok captain Morné du Plessis the night after he concussed famous outhalf Naas Botha with a late tackle during a provincial scrap at Loftus Versfeld. Cliffie grabbed two fellow beasts from the Western Province pack and armed with a few cases of beer sat guard in the hotel corridor outside Morné’s room.
“My family where they grew up they had quite tough love. I think my parents always wanted the best for me. They were never actually that tough on me but it was probably just in the blood, the toughness.”
Eben Etzebeth: Factfile
Height: 2.03 / 6ft 8ins
Weight: 117kg / 18 stone 6 lb
Born: October 29th, 1991 (just turned 21)
Provincial – 3
Caps: Super Rugby – 8
International caps – 13
© 2012 The Irish Times
8 Nov 2012, 15:44 pm
Sorry. “I attach a copy of an article…”. Certainly not mine.
8 Nov 2012, 15:56 pm
@Sasuke-5:
This comment was blogged in response to the above article – “Neil35G – Mike McCarthy is the man to have a crack at the beast……..”. He is probably the most physical lock in Ireland at present and has shown excellent form. Plays for Connacht. Leinster vs Connacht – Q. Roux did’nt finish the game!!
8 Nov 2012, 16:16 pm
I wonder if it’s ever happened that cousins have faced each other in the same position….
Probably countless times in the Polynesian countries.
8 Nov 2012, 16:18 pm
@DublinShark-7: Ysterrrrrrrrrr! Awesome article.
Enjoy wearing your Bok jersey around Dubs tomorrow mate! Should be a great game
9 Nov 2012, 08:50 am
@DublinShark-9:
Nothing that Ysterbeth cant handle!
9 Nov 2012, 08:51 am
@DublinShark-7: What was the JPP gaffe?
9 Nov 2012, 08:55 am
Caps: Super Rugby – 8
International caps – 13
Mistake here. Should be the other way around.
9 Nov 2012, 11:16 am
@Sasuke-13: see extracts below. After 14years, really sick and tired of the condescending Irish Press stereotyping us as thick, neanderthal, arrogant thugs. Its 3-1 to Ireland since I’ve been here, SA have to win 2morrow!!!!
SOUTH AFRICANS ON A WING AND PRAYER WHEN IT COMES TO IRISH OPPONENTS
GAVIN CUMMISKEY —– Wed, Nov 07, 2012
Although JP Pietersen wasn’t sure who his direct opponents would be, the winger feels ready for Ireland. “They have exciting wingers so it will be really a challenge for us as wingers and fullback.” photograph: getty
The label of arrogance traditionally levelled at the Springboks is unfair. Take Jon-Paul Roger Pietersen. One of the world’s great wingers spoke in impressive detail yesterday about the Irish back three he will come into (aerial) contact with this Saturday.
“I’ve played against Tommy Bowe . . .” Good opening gambit. Bowe was in opposition during the 2009 Lions series. Only problem was the Natal Dolphin continued talking: “ . . . and I think the other winger is David Skrela or something.” The key words there are “or something”. Unaware of his blunder, Pietersen ploughed on: “He played for Ulster. I watched a couple of Heineken Cup games.”
Skrela was born in Toulouse, which is in France JP, the country he represented 23 times as a outhalf. Presumably Pietersen meant Andrew Trimble. An easy mistake. “I don’t know who is going to play fullback,” the 26-year-old flyer admitted. In fairness, not many expected Simon Zebo to be a likely replacement for Rob Kearney tomorrow “I am sure they are going to test us in the back three. They have exciting wingers so it will be really a challenge for us as wingers and fullback.”
They are so exciting he only knows one by name. This is the norm with touring Southern Hemisphere teams……………………………..
EAGER-TO-GET-GOING TRIMBLE LAUGHS OFF PIETERSEN GAFFE
GERRY THORNLEY — Wed, Nov 07, 2012
Ireland’s Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble and Paul O’Connell on a golf cart at the squad training session at Carton House yesterday. photograph: dan sheridan/inpho
To be mistaken for a goalkicking French outhalf whose national team have long since discarded him and who is notionally second choice for his club side might be deemed offensive to an Irish winger who doesn’t even share the same Christian name. But on foot of JP Pietersen having apparently confused him with David Skrela, as one wag in the press corps sought to console Andrew Trimble, this was at least a variation on being called David Trimble.
The Ulster and Irish winger was also inclined to laugh off the perceived slur. “Is that what he said?” laughed Trimble. “It’s always the way; you want to get as much respect out of these teams as possible and I think the only way you get that respect you feel you deserve is if you beat them. It could have just been a mistake…………
‘I THINK THE OTHER WINGER IS DAVID SKRELA … HE PLAYS FOR ULSTER’: PIETERSEN BLUNDER PLAYED DOWN
By Ruaidhri O’Connor — Wednesday November 07 2012
PERHAPS the most telling aspect of South Africa’s press briefing was the deviation from the schedule.
Instead of Belfast-born defence and tactical kicking coach John McFarland, the media would be meeting backs coach Ricardo Loubscher and winger JP Pietersen.
The reason? McFarland had headed to Blackrock with a group of players for some extra training. The focus? Scrums and kicking.
Heyneke Meyer, it seems, is learning from the mistakes of his predecessors.
The Springboks coach knows all about northern hemisphere rugby from his time in charge of Leicester and has seen the men in dark green perish in poor conditions at Lansdowne Road and Croke Park before.
The news that they are focusing on the rudiments of the game is not only bad for the near sell-out crowd hoping to be entertained, it could be ominous for Ireland.
This South Africa side, however inexperienced, are here to play cup rugby as preparations begin for the 2015 World Cup in England. So, don’t expect anything flamboyant.
But Meyer may want to turn his focus on his backline’s knowledge of their opponents, after World Cup winner Pietersen name-checked France fly-half David Skrela among the main dangermen in the Ireland back-three.
He meant Andrew Trimble, and considering the Ulster winger is likely to be marking the 26-year-old, it should add some more fuel to their battle.
Take Brian O’Driscoll out of an Irish backline and the bells stop ringing for southern hemisphere sides.
In fairness to him, the Sharks star did remember Tommy Bowe from his days tearing it up in South Africa for the Lions. “I have played against Tommy Bowe and I think the other winger is David Skrela or something, he plays for Ulster,” he said.
“I have watched a couple of games in the Heineken Cup and they have a very exciting back three. I don’t know who is going to be playing full-back, but I am sure they are going to challenge us — it will be an exciting challenge for us as wingers and full-back this weekend.”
Trimble, it seems, won’t be pinning the comments up on the dressing room wall — even though he was somewhat taken aback.
Ireland have beaten South Africa three times in the last four outings and contributed a handsome amount of players to the Lions who toured three years ago, but still their names don’t roll off Springbok tongues.
“David Skrela?! Is that what he said?” the bemused Ulsterman said later at Carton House.
respect
“It’s always the way; you want to get as much respect out of these teams as possible and I think the only way you get that respect you feel you deserve is if you beat them……………
9 Nov 2012, 14:14 pm
@DublinShark-15: lol funny!
10 Nov 2012, 09:39 am
Fantastic stuff – well done JP.
That’ll def get their attention.
That’s a pretty decent backline tho I’m not so sure about their halbacks. The forwards are not what they could be but they’ll be amped playing in front of a whole stadium of delarious leprechauns.
10 Nov 2012, 09:47 am
You almost get a feeling with the Irish that they actually need some sort of disrespectful comment to spur them on – and they call the Boks thick – maybe the poms are right about tge paddies afterall not a peanut amongst them.
10 Nov 2012, 17:37 pm
I’m always perplexed where Ireland get this “stupid” stereotype from considering along with the Scandinavian countries and Japan and Korea they are always in the top 10 countries of every world development indexes. Always infront of the UK and far in front of SA.
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