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
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10 Nov 2012, 00:19 am
@skopdiekan-846: Agree, you never said it. But read your own posts and you’ll see it is certainly what you imply. Dumb crybaby.
10 Nov 2012, 00:20 am
@The Rangerman-847: you are a little poncefied fool.. you little ignoramus non comprehending d!ckhead.. you a stupid little pratassed undeveloped d’ckhead that thinks its clever when it is absolutely and irrelevantly dumb… you stupid little ponsified pratassed pretentious pisswilly punk.
10 Nov 2012, 00:24 am
@skopdiekan-852: thats not very nice boy.
but feel free to voice your opinion.
10 Nov 2012, 00:25 am
@Finfan-851: ag man you are thick.. you got a superiority / inferiority based phobia and complex.. now you reckon I said or implied all white males should be shot.. that is the thickest and most stupid assumption anyone could ever hope to dream up.. seeing as I would then be implying contemplating suicide.. now you stretching your assumption way into your anxiety complex twilight zone of insecurity.
10 Nov 2012, 00:28 am
@skopdiekan-854: how can it be suicide if you are to be shot?
its becomming clear that you are the worst kind of stupid boy.
stupid who thinks he is smart.
dangerous yet pitiful.
10 Nov 2012, 00:28 am
@The Rangerman-850:
No you find nothing chump!
The sooner you adopt the right page the better your chances of avoiding being humiliated further on this site.
Best you wise up instead of this filth coming from your foul mouth.
10 Nov 2012, 00:31 am
@fishdish-856: my foul mouth?
as opposed to this piece of sh i t you are congratulating?
whattajoke.
pray tell who you think can humiliate me on a blog?
10 Nov 2012, 00:32 am
@fishdish-856: Another dumb, patheticarsehole. Try being original. It is a tall order, but try. We’re holding thumbs for you.
10 Nov 2012, 00:34 am
@skopdiekan-854: You are the White Malema. Congratulations!
Pathetic, dumb crybaby.
10 Nov 2012, 00:34 am
@fishdish-856: you better wake up sharpish son.
if you want to hang out with fckups you will end up as one.
friendly warning.
then again maybe its your mates i should be warning about you?
10 Nov 2012, 00:35 am
@The Rangerman-853: anytime.. that is what I do here mostly.. is voice my opinion.. as you do yours.. so now you know what I think of you.. its time you learned some manners and simple reverent dignity in your stupid youthful indiscretion and self indulgent ego rampant stupor.
time I went to bed.. its late.
out
Fishdish you one of the few here with your eyes wide open and your mind engaged in clear sighted recognition.. most the others are stuck inside some preconditioned influenced ideology .. there ain’t too many in the world who can see clearly portrayed ulterior motives and discriminatory agendas.
10 Nov 2012, 00:36 am
@skopdiekan-861: LOL. Loser.
10 Nov 2012, 00:38 am
@Finfan-859: another jeremy crony selling his soul for 40 pieces of silver.
its laughable watching people like snoeky.
they start off like vavi did, fire and brimstone for the masses and end up like vavi, clinging to his job and willing to sell any shred of self worth and integrity to keep his snout in the trough.
10 Nov 2012, 00:41 am
I was disappointed with the selection
It will be an easy one for the Boks, too easy
I thought Chiliboi, Steenkamp and Jantjies will feature off the bench, then I would have taken a wager on the Paddies with the ods about 1:3 for the Boks, would have been a huge kill
Alas, HM no doubt is concers now about his performance clause and the coming techical review
10 Nov 2012, 00:41 am
@skopdiekan-861: boy your opinion is worthless.
go to bed you old fckwit.
10 Nov 2012, 00:43 am
@Finfan-862: dream on crybaby dream on.. the loser here is you.. all your white is right principles of self worth are being eradicated and eroded as we speak.. next you going to have to realize you just as non relevant as anyone else and the indigenous population of this country have as much right to privilege as you do.. if not perhaps a little more seeing as you are the alien here not them and you have had it way too good for far too long.. its time the tables were turned a little for your own good so you learn the humility your dumb deluded soul deserves to learn.
10 Nov 2012, 00:47 am
@The Rangerman-865: little presumptuous prats like you deserve a backhand for your snot nosed little self righteous indulgences and irreverence.. you need to get taught a lesson in manners and respect and if you can’t learn it here.. it will have to be taught to you where it matters.. out there in the real world of recognition of respect and relevancy.
10 Nov 2012, 00:48 am
@The Rangerman-860: @Finfan-858:
Maybe I wasn’t clear…I wasn’t really addressing either of you, however…
Being opposed to shittdrops like HM and yourselves warrants fokoll originality, just self assertion and a view so clear it distinguishes the real movers and shakers of this blog from the needle-dickk shaken and pig-puked stirred. You rant on fueled by your obvious jealousy and obsession for a person you don’t even know, so if you don’t support HM, then we should all be at the back o the bus singing for revolution.
10 Nov 2012, 00:49 am
Jantjies and chiliboi are the top entertainers – along with the Beast – their absence will make it too dull a Test
Ditto Aplon
10 Nov 2012, 00:50 am
@skopdiekan-866: Yes? You don’t know me. Its your prejudice speaking.
You were too dumb to try acertain what my views are, but that is not important to someone who only consider his own stereotypes, is it?
Go to bed now, prejudiced, pathetic, dumb crybaby.
10 Nov 2012, 00:53 am
@Hondo-869: You should go to bed too. A late night might kill your brain cell.
10 Nov 2012, 00:59 am
Go Bokke! May Lambie have a blinder, JdJ given ample opportunity to do his jive (preferably more than once) and Steyn be prevented from having even a 2 minute cameo.
10 Nov 2012, 03:22 am
David,
Moenie nou dadelik kyk nie, maar iemand het op julle website gekots.
Seriously, as dit my company se site was sou ek either (a) dit nie adverteer nie of (b) die company uit die kak uit probeer werk en minder tyd op n ****** blog spandeer.
Eet kak.
10 Nov 2012, 04:00 am
@Hondo-864:
“I was disappointed with the selection
It will be an easy one for the Boks, too easy
I thought Chiliboi, Steenkamp and Jantjies will feature off the bench, then I would have taken a wager on the Paddies with the ods about 1:3 for the Boks, would have been a huge kill
Alas, HM no doubt is concers now about his performance clause and the coming techical review’
@Hondo-869:
Jantjies and chiliboi are the top entertainers – along with the Beast – their absence will make it too dull a Test
Ditto Aplon
————————————————————————————————-
That’s how I know you mos man. Tell the poepols.
It’s the dark people in the team that’s the problem. Even if they are not in the team, like Aplon and Jantjies.
We must make a plan with them.
10 Nov 2012, 05:19 am
I see the Irish are wearing black, thats got to be worth 10 points for the fear factor alone.
10 Nov 2012, 06:01 am
@NZINCHINA-875:
Howzit China……the Irish sending a message in their black regalia you think?
10 Nov 2012, 06:05 am
Rangi, very clever move from the Paddies as you well know the Bokke fear the men in black so a master stroke.
10 Nov 2012, 06:10 am
@NZINCHINA-877:
Yes seems those Nh teams luv the black as their second strip……of all the neutral colurs that would not clash with the Bok seems black is best…
10 Nov 2012, 06:14 am
From memory when the Bokke got beaten by two clubs sides one of them was also wearing black and the Scots beat them wearing an off black colour, so its official the Bokke fear black.
10 Nov 2012, 06:16 am
The Bokke have only just gotten over their fear of yellow but that could quickly reverse course next season.
10 Nov 2012, 06:18 am
I don’t know about the fear part maybe the jitters.
10 Nov 2012, 06:22 am
No its fear Rangi you can smell it on KEO.
10 Nov 2012, 06:23 am
@NZINCHINA-880:
Why do the Bok wear their trackpants when running on the park? Gives off the message that their not prepared…..funny thing is they usually come out guns a blazing…..then tire at an alarming rate…
10 Nov 2012, 06:26 am
Rangi they run round like headless chickens and then routinely fade in the home stretch, many of their supporters will tell us though that they won the first half, oh dear.
10 Nov 2012, 06:27 am
@NZINCHINA-882:
hehe have never sensed that…..have heard Dawn screaming though one time at Poppa
10 Nov 2012, 06:31 am
@NZINCHINA-884:
Oh yeah…..the eggs in one basket gameplan
10 Nov 2012, 06:32 am
Rangi, Poppa has the high ground 6 wins from the last 7 games and the only reason its not 7 from 7 as we sent a D team over in 11′ to ensure Bill would be secured.
10 Nov 2012, 06:41 am
Thats the last game where Morne actually played his best rugby against Abs been downhill since then for him….the Lambie seems to be made of tougher stuff….too bad their coach will fark him up too.
10 Nov 2012, 06:44 am
@NZINCHINA-887:
Forgot Abs are stretching out their win/loss ratio against our Greatest foes……..at least we have sent help in John Mitchell….hehe
10 Nov 2012, 06:51 am
Half the clowns around here wanted Mitchell as Bokke coach, that tells you something.
10 Nov 2012, 06:58 am
@NZINCHINA-890:
those lions lawyers must be cake….how they didn’t nail Mitch is beyond me..
10 Nov 2012, 07:03 am
They are seriously lacking in the coaching department, wouldn’t surprise me if they offered him a pay rise and begged him to come back – foolish but we all warned them.
10 Nov 2012, 07:06 am
@NZINCHINA-890:
If Mitch had of stayed off the pisss he could of been in line for Bok coach….after the Meyer is laid to rest Mitch may have been right in there with a shout……one for the road
10 Nov 2012, 07:12 am
To be fair to old Mitch he probably couldn’t do a worse job than Meyer if he tried.
10 Nov 2012, 07:16 am
@NZINCHINA-894:
Yes….better than Meyer but not as good as P Divvy…….the tale of a sad story
10 Nov 2012, 07:19 am
Meyer is doomed, he’s a 60%er at best.
10 Nov 2012, 07:24 am
@NZINCHINA-896:
Ae agree….”.this is the end the end my friend”
Have to take off…..might catch you up for the game…..look after yourself mate….
10 Nov 2012, 07:27 am
Cheers Rangi.
10 Nov 2012, 07:29 am
two keewees in a pod…
10 Nov 2012, 07:40 am
Boks by 10.
Even if there are some wobbly selection.
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