Preview: Ireland vs Springboks
9 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE analyses the key match-ups and picks a winner of the year-end tour Test in Dublin.
The optimism among Ireland supporters appeared to be high when I first arrived in Dublin last Saturday, but I’ve since sensed a steady shift to something bordering pessimism, in light of injuries to key and experienced players. They still hope for an Ireland victory, of course, but there is none of the strong belief that had accompanied their ambition in recent meetings at Lansdowne Road.
Ireland have won three of the last four Tests in the city. Experienced and respected men among their media contingent predict that dominance will end, despite acknowledging the Springboks’ own struggles with injuries and their poor form in 2012. I think they’re right, although any Springbok victory will not be accompanied by glowing praise of the beauty of their performance.
The forecast is for cold but clear conditions at kick-off, which will assist the attacking play of both sides, not that either team is likely to thrill in their own territory. The Boks won’t veer from the kick-chase method when in their half, and they will look to put Ireland’s receivers under pressure with committed chasers. The hosts have consistently pointed to the importance of putting their primary punters – Ruan Pienaar, Pat Lambie and Zane Kirchner – under pressure. I don’t foresee them achieving this, with the Springboks’ pack likely to be dominant and in so doing buying the aforementioned players time to set themselves and pick their spots (they’ll target fullback Simon Zebo), whether that be up-and-unders or kicks into space.
Pat Lambie’s tactical game showed improvements in the Currie Cup, but the pressure of Test matches is incomparable and he’ll be under close scrutiny in this regard. Lambie will also be thrust further into the spotlight if the Springboks succeed in pressuring Ireland into penalties in kickable positions. He has kicked superbly of late and needs to replicate that form on the international stage. Certainly if Ireland find their attacking groove they are capable of punishing the Springboks for infringements, with Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara among the most accurate Test goal-kickers in 2012.
If Lambie wobbles with the boot the Springboks have problems. Statistically no team in the world has spent more time in the opposition’s 22m than they have this year, yet the return in terms of tries scored has been desperately poor. They have consistently conceded penalties or made handling errors when on attack in this zone. There needs to be a dramatic reduction in both counts. The Springboks simply have to be more clinical.
The Bok pack has fronted well in set and general play, even against the All Blacks, who are widely regarded to be the strongest eight in the game. They’ll be too good for the Irish, who’ll miss Paul O’Connell’s physicality and leadership and Sean O’Brein’s industry and potency at the breakdown. If Francois Louw can impose himself at breakdown time (off the back of a good gainline contest) it will further compound Ireland’s attacking struggles. I think he will, with Declan Kidney’s team not possessing enough high calibre strike runners to boss the tackle and render Louw a non-factor.
Expect parity at scrum time, while the tourists will boss the lineouts, where their rolling maul will be a massive weapon.
Overall, Ireland will be a fierce competitor but not one with the quality to take advantage of a significantly weakened Springbok side.
VREDE’S CALL: Springboks by 10
1,019 Comments
Pages: « 1 … 10 11 12 13 14 [15] 16 17 18 19 20 … 21 » Show All
9 Nov 2012, 18:24 pm
@the authority-697: there you go you little inconsequential piece of racialist sniveling trash .. when you get shown what a piffle arse little pipsqueak worth of nothing you actually are then its scum like you wanna resort to referring to other peoples mothers with your lucid ignoramus tongue full of etiquette in your so well educated scum arsed little fckup pissarse brain.. you little piece of trash heap garbage infested rat.
9 Nov 2012, 18:25 pm
And your little coward father hasnt escaped punishment either. He will be beaten down for bringing you into the world. Beaten down until he bluddywell cries like the little coward he is.
9 Nov 2012, 18:27 pm
@the authority-699: this the kind trash that calls itself ‘the authority’.. how about that.. this piece of garbage whitearse trash wanna tell the world that scum like this is the ‘authority’ how about THAT for a f’ng arse end of nowheresville revelation…
Scum like this need to get shoveled onto the nearest garbage trash heap and left to rot and disintegrate into the outright gemorse that it is.
9 Nov 2012, 18:27 pm
Skop…
You use foul-mouthed slur, so dont complain when you get it back.
B.itch.
9 Nov 2012, 18:29 pm
@the authority-702: who you think you are fuckface. you reckon you somebody relevant to society.. you stupid imbecilic little trash heap grotesque irrelevant rat?
9 Nov 2012, 18:31 pm
Jeezlike
I dont know either of you, but there is venom in these posts.
Skopdiekan I hate to say it bud but looks like you started this.
9 Nov 2012, 18:31 pm
@the authority-704: you wanna trade insults fckface.. keep it coming skunk.. you are the lowest of the low denominator right here.. and scum like you wanna think you are even remotely relevant to anything either rugby related or otherwise.. skunk moron idiotic piece of scum faced trash.
9 Nov 2012, 18:33 pm
@Daddy-706: I called the punk what he is.. and how is that starting it.. this little pipsqueak punk wanna tell the world he is the ‘authority’ on anything relevant to rugby.. well how you like them apples now.. he ain’t no authority on anything.. anytime or ever.. now you wide awake open your eyes to what scum faced garbage like this actually is…
lots of trash hang around here reckon they the authority on stuff they know absolutely f’all about.. how about that.
9 Nov 2012, 18:36 pm
@Skop
We’re done here. You’ve had enough.
9 Nov 2012, 18:38 pm
@the authority-709: who’s done.. you’re done punk..you can take your lowlife irrelevancy and fck straight off back to where you oozed out of scum faced imbecilic garbage trash.
9 Nov 2012, 18:40 pm
OMG glad I checked this post out!!
Skop you got kinda owned there boet.
How bout we all just talk rugby instead of name-calling etc!?
9 Nov 2012, 18:47 pm
@Kaizan-711: ha ha wouldn’t you like to believe it. another one reckon I got owned .. it suits your stupid agenda to believe I got owned when its actually exactly the other way around you dumb stupid idiot schmuck..
Bloody stupid twatass morons that think they know what the fck is what.
9 Nov 2012, 18:49 pm
@skopdiekan-712:
Haha see Skop – This is why no one likes you.
Were you bullied as a child?
9 Nov 2012, 18:49 pm
@the authority-683: 6ft 1? siya is listed ast 101kg on the stormers website
how big is arno botha?
9 Nov 2012, 18:50 pm
they wanna talk rugby till they start to talk twak.. then they resort to calling mothers and fathers this that or the other.. meanwhile its them getting owned.. while they like to believe in their dumb ignoramus irrelevant heads that they are the ones doing the owning.
Stupid imbecilic little know nothing runts.
9 Nov 2012, 18:51 pm
Skop why don’t you come on here and share posts with fellow rugby fans?…. There will always be people with different opinions to you. Doesn’t mean you have to get aggressive.
Rugby debates can be fun and stimulating. You should try be more positive and relaxed.
Anyway, I’ll leave you to mull on that.
9 Nov 2012, 18:54 pm
@Kaizan-713: you think I’m here for your sense of stupefied self gratifying appreciation you stupid imbecile fool.. you think I come here to be ‘liked’ by stupid moron dunces like you.. think again.. open your dumb brain you silly little groupie groveling nonsensical ignorance indulgent mutt.
so you also reckon Kolisi is ‘too small to be a Springbok’ that is also your authoritarian idiocy come oozing out your none knowing brain?
9 Nov 2012, 18:54 pm
@ryecatcher-692:
Hi Rye hope you well.
Do these guys actually get pleasure out of these post.
They must realise that this is a public forum and that young kids are reading these posts.
Skop might even have some cyberfans that look forward to his daily post but if they read this vitriol they would try to imulate him.
I might sound naive but damn South Africans are supposed to be civilised.
9 Nov 2012, 18:57 pm
@blue and white stripes-718: Kids reading? That authority guy is a kid, always arrives about 20 minutes after the school bell rings. Not sure about the other guy though
9 Nov 2012, 18:57 pm
@Kaizan-716: that is largely what I do.. I give straight out direct aggressive rugby opinion with no bullshit agendas attached… until some stupefied little authoritarian comes talk absolute twak.. then I let them know how little they know.. while they think they know so much..
that is when the sh’t hits the fan.. because most you dumb dubious self engrossed supremacists can’t see past your own highfalutin claptrap rap.
9 Nov 2012, 18:58 pm
@skopdiekan-720:
Ok Skop.
Who would be your starting 15 for the Springboks?
9 Nov 2012, 19:00 pm
@blue and white stripes-718: south Africans civilized.. where you ever think south African could ever be civilized.?. they the most uncivilized bunch of barbarian neanderthals that ever came oozing out the caves of northern Europe.. the entire backward rugby loving tribe of neanderthal morons in unison combined.
9 Nov 2012, 19:01 pm
@Kaizan-721: from which selection.. my own.. or this collection gathered together under Heyneke’s entourage?
9 Nov 2012, 19:04 pm
@skopdiekan-723: Your own.
9 Nov 2012, 19:06 pm
@gonzo-719:
Howzit Gonzo.
Watched Re-Union last night and damn it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Craig Dowd and the rest of the panel was discussing the AB’s year and how successful it was. The game they drew against the Aussies was actually considered a loss and the AB’s only failure this year.
9 Nov 2012, 19:11 pm
Aplon
JPP
JdV
De Jongh
Mapoe
Lambie
Hougaard
Vermeulen
Coetsee
Louw
Etsebeth
Alberts
Jdup
Fourie
Steenkamp
Beast, Brits, Cilliers, Elstadt, Botha, Pienaar, Jantjies, Taute
9 Nov 2012, 19:11 pm
@blue and white stripes-725: the worst part about the “loss” to the aussies was that a lot of my aussie friends considered it a win. Beating them will never be as satisfying again knowing they would be happy with a draw!
9 Nov 2012, 19:11 pm
@skopdiekan-722:
True. But South Africa produced Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Helen Suzman, Nkosi Johnson, FW De Klerk and Morne Du Plessis.
So their is hope for the future.
9 Nov 2012, 19:13 pm
Or I would have Taute starting 15 with Aplon at 11 and Mapoe on bench.
9 Nov 2012, 19:17 pm
@blue and white stripes-728: some of those are exceptions rather than the rule.. the average south African is still very young in terms of evolution status .. mostly still babies in kindergarten when it comes down to realizing the so called model of civilization they supposed to be aspiring to
9 Nov 2012, 19:17 pm
@gonzo-727:
Hopefully a full strength Bok team can close that gap.
But playing in South Africa or at altitude is no longer an advantage.
9 Nov 2012, 19:18 pm
@skopdiekan-726:
@Kaizan-724:
Unfortunately skop, this team is just a Christmas wish list. Nothing more, nothing less.
Heyneke’s team plays on grass. Yours plays on paper. So we have to go with those in his squad of 31 or 32 players.
Now get behind the Bokke!
9 Nov 2012, 19:18 pm
@skopdiekan-726:
Would that team beat the All Blacks?
9 Nov 2012, 19:22 pm
@skopdiekan-726:
WHAT!?!?!
You wouldn’t select Kolisi!!???!!
RACIST SCUM!!!!!!!!
9 Nov 2012, 19:24 pm
@skopdiekan-730:
The new South African we all hoped would set the benchmark for human rights globally has sadly failed.
Unfortunately the change that took place in 1994 was forced by global economic sanctions and was done out of reconciliation.
9 Nov 2012, 19:25 pm
@I am a stormer-732: he asked for my team not Heyneke’s
If I had to select from the collection of Heyneke babes that he has got trundling after his messiah ship then it would have gone like this this weekend
Taute
JPP
JdV
JdJ
Mapoe
Lambie
Hougaard
Vermeulen
Coetsee
Louw
Etsebeth
Alberts
JdP
Brits
Beast
CJ, Chili, Cilliers, Vd Merwe, Botha, Pienaar, Jantjies, Kirchner
9 Nov 2012, 19:27 pm
@the authority-734: Kolisi is injured MORON.. if Kolisi would not be injured which would not have been the case if Meyer would have played him in the Bok setup instead of sending him back to the CC to get injured then Kolisi would start ahead of Coetsee in my team every time.. dunce deluxe supreme.
9 Nov 2012, 19:27 pm
@Kaizan-733:
@skopdiekan-729:
The Bok pack is settled. It is the backs where he lacks consistency. That we know. So i would go:
Taute at 15 – need to a game breaker there. Zane has had plenty of chances
JDJ at 13 – has been shafted, the no. 1 centre in SA right now and forget THAT try
Elton at 10 – he finished the game at Soccer City and deserves another start
Hougaard can be considered lucky to be playing and needs a huge game if he wants to remain in the starting 22.
9 Nov 2012, 19:35 pm
@skopdiekan-736:
We differ here and there.
I still feel Elton was shafted but Lambie has got a break after being listed as no. 2 FB.
Hougaard’s confidence is down and I reckon he should start off the bench as a utility.
Alberts at 7 – he seeems to enjoy NH conditions. Hope he’s not carrying a niggle otherwise Coetzee
Etzebeth is a 4 – Juandre will be ok at 5.
Brits would never ever start in his 1st test back for the Boks – but nice to have on the bench – I’m looking forward to that replacement.
9 Nov 2012, 19:35 pm
@Kaizan-733:
A team such as this could beat the All Blacks.. would stand a lot more chance than the one that got smashed at FNB soccer city
Taute / Aplon, JPP, Mapoe, JdJ, Habana, Goosen, Hougaard, Vermeulen, Alberts, Kolisi, Etsebeth, Elstadt, Mujati, Bismark, Steenkamp
Beast, Fourie, Cilliers, Mostert, Botha, Groom, Lambie, Aplon / Taute
9 Nov 2012, 19:40 pm
@I am a stormer-738:
Taute IMO is not ready for test match rugby yet.
He will not have a good game tomorrow.
Kirchner has no frills but will do the job. He will be solid and allow us to play in the opponents half with his boot.
Lambie will also be solid. The kids got a good head on his shoulders. But Elton should’ve been the starting 10.
It is inevitable that the players will start disrespecting the coach because of trust issues which will be his eventual downfall.
9 Nov 2012, 19:41 pm
@I am a stormer-739: Hougaard should never have been played at 11.. Hougaard should have been first choice Bok scrummy since 2010 .. instead he has been stuffed up trying to emulate FDP and being played out of position as impact 11 off bench which has stuffed up his natural flair game to hell..
HM has almost destroyed Hougaard by trying to clone him into FdP11 and it could even be that he never rediscovers his outright athletic sniping adrenalin opportunist game breaking ability he had before they stuffed his game up the way they have.
9 Nov 2012, 19:45 pm
737……Kolisi would not be injured which would not have been the case if Meyer would have played him in the Bok setup instead of sending him back to the CC to get injured.
Fear of the sky falling too?
9 Nov 2012, 19:46 pm
@blue and white stripes-741: @I am a stormer-739:
Its a tough call between Lambie and Jantjies.. they both mediocre in my opinion.. Jantjies is tougher than Lambie and they both got enough BMT.. Jantjies is better off the front foot.. Lambie a bit better as the in the pocket style field kicking pivot.
Lambie can double at 10 and 15 while Jantjies can only play 10 nowhere else.
Neither have Goosen’s natural game read and running ability, but both are less injury prone and both perhaps a little tougher in the mentality stakes.
I think Pollard might actually be the fly half the Boks are perhaps waiting for. but he gonna be another nasty Booter type operative though much more adventurous and capable than Morne Steyn.
9 Nov 2012, 19:47 pm
@blue and white stripes-741:
Taute is a HM favourite and should’ve been Kirchner’s back-up at FB. And thus eased into test rugby.
Lambie will never let a team down – playing at 15 in the WC proved this – although I reckon he dictates the game at FH.
Now that leaves 3 players in the running for the Bok fly half berth – Lambie, Elton and Goosen. Not a bad headache for HM to have.
9 Nov 2012, 19:50 pm
@skopdiekan-744:
Pollard is a laaitie – he needs at least a year if not 2 of Super Rugby in order to toughen up. And actually so does Goosen. Both have years on their side. As i said, it’s a good position to be in.
9 Nov 2012, 19:50 pm
@shooter-743: fact.. Meyer is a doos.. he takes him into the Bok fold for what .. to get him acclimatized to what.?. with zero intention of ever playing him.. then sends him back into an irrelevant CC competition to get injured.. if Meyer was serious about developing talent like Kolisi he would have made sure he was part of his plans from the outset and not given a non relevant look in for nothing.
Meyer is thick.. he bloods useless moron cavemen like Potgieter and sees stardust in Coetsees eyes.. while Kolisi is head and shoulders better loose forward than both of them combined…
9 Nov 2012, 19:52 pm
@Horings-616: No,we can’t Pietman.
9 Nov 2012, 19:52 pm
@skopdiekan-744:
Goosen will come right. I still believe his the answer.
Hopefully his got the right medical personel looking after him.
9 Nov 2012, 19:53 pm
Ag, JP Duminy – what a bummer, man! Hope to see you back sooner rather than later.
Hash and Jakes still have a big job to do tomorrow now that we are a batsman down. And a spinner down too.
Pages: « 1 … 10 11 12 13 14 [15] 16 17 18 19 20 … 21 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.