Ireland vs South Africa 8th of November

First topic message reminder :

In six days time Ireland will host South Africa in their first test of the November tours. South Africa will have to lift themselves for this one as the standard under Meyer has ben exemplary in Europe, he is yet to lose a test match and the Six Nations champions gets first shot at breaking Meyer's unbeaten streak over the Six Nations teams.

It seems both teams are effected by injuries so their depth will be severely tested.

South African players unavailable due to injury.

Props - Marcel v d Merwe, Frans Malherbe
Hooker - Schalk Brits, Callie Visagie
Locks - Pieter Steph du Toit, Flip v d Merwe
Back Row - Frans Louw, Willem Alberts, Siya Kolisi, Arno Botha
Halfback - Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar (Pending a fitness test)
Midfield - Jaque Fourie

Irish players unavailable due to injury.
Props - Healy, Moore, Ross (Questionable)
Hooker - Cronin, Best (questionable)
Locks - Tuohy, Ryan
Back Row - Henderson, Murphy, O'Brien
Halfback -
Flyhalf - Sexton (Questionable)
Midfield - Darcy (questionable)
Back Three - Kearney, Earls, Trimble, Fitzgerald, McFadden, Bowe (questionable)

Ireland has been rather successful against South Africa in the last decade, managing wins in 2004, 2006 and 2009.

South Africa 31 - 17 Ireland
South Africa 26 - 17 Ireland
Ireland 17 - 12 South Africa
Ireland 32 - 15 South Africa
Ireland 15 - 10 South Africa
Ireland 21 - 23 South Africa
Ireland 12 - 16 South Africa

Likely matchday 23 for South Africa.

1. Tendai Mtwarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie du PLessis
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Victor Matfield
6. Marcell Coetzee
7. Oupa Mohoje
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Francois Hougaard
10. Handre Pollard
11. Brya Habana
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Jan Serfontein
14. Cornal Hendricks
15. Willie le Roux.

Subs
16. Coenie Oosthuizen
17. Adriaan Strauss
18. Julian Redelinghuys
19. Bakkies Botha
20. Schalk Burger
21. Cobus Reinach
22. Johan Goosen
23. Patrick Lambie/Damien de Allende

Likely Irish matchday 23. (Help please)

Ireland will be keen to beat the Springboks, even though they are unlikely to meet them in earlier rounds of the RWC it will give them validation and confidence for the Rugby World Cup. Under their new coach I expect them to throw the ball around and attempt to run the SPringboks off their feet, Ireland is also more used to the conditions and could use that to their advantage, I suspect the territorial game will be part of their plans.

It is easier sad than done though, the only team in recent years that managed to run the Springboks off their feet was New Zealand, and that was at altitude. South Africa these days play more adventurous rugby and at a great pace as well, newcomer Handre POllard will be on his first trip to Europe, so it might take him a while to adapt, but once on song he will be the danger man, South Africa attacks a lot flatter without Morne Steyn which does provide more hesitation in opposition defences and creates more space for their outside backs.

One issue with South Africa this season has been their inconsistency in performances, and they will have to be on song from the start.

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has warned his team they will need to be at their best if they are to keep their unbeaten record under his management in the northern hemisphere intact.

Meyer singled out the team’s first fixture against Ireland as a crucial one to kick off the team’s four week tour, and one which is the most tricky of all their fixtures.

The Boks know they cannot focus on the Twickenham showdown before getting past the tricky Irish, who have been a team that has plagued them at this time of year under previous coaches.

The Boks will know all too well how a poor opening performance can set the trend for the tour, and with chances to experiment getting less and less ahead of the World Cup, it is imperative that the team kick off the tour on a high note.

“We have a proud record and we haven’t lost a game there. But we have a proud record and this is probably the toughest tour we have faced to the Northern Hemisphere. I truly believe Ireland is an unbelievable team, they were unlucky not to beat the All Blacks last year.

“They’ve got a great coaching staff, a lot of in-form players and their defence is great. They’ve got a good kicking game in those conditions."

That's it boys, enjoy the discussion.

A TRY!!!!!!

Ruddock!

Henshaw did brilliantly to get us that field position. Clinical stuff!

Sexton has his kicking boots on today anyway.

To say Healys absence has been too noticeable just shows how good Jack Mcgrath is.

I wouldn't agree with that, he's had a very hard time in a few of the scrums but his general play is great.

Blimey - Irish looking really good for their lead. I know Eng and Wales lost but I find it pleasing that the North South gap is not looking as big as perhaps imagined.

Go Ireland!

stub wrote:Blimey - Irish looking really good for their lead. I know Eng and Wales lost but I find it pleasing that the North South gap is not looking as big as perhaps imagined.

Go Ireland!

Long way to go in this game.

Yes Notch, that's true, but Ireland seem to be giving a good account of themselves and I doubt they'll be embarrassed come full time.

Don't tell Biltong, but South Africa are seriously missing the passing of Pienaar at 9.

Well it was coming. All this defending from Ireland is going to pay in the end. I can see SA really pushing on from here.

Im sure Strauss will be welcomed warmily

If Sextons leg is tight or in some pain why not let Kearney take it? Could have done with some more metres off that kick

Golden wrote:If Sextons leg is tight or in some pain why not let Kearney take it? Could have done with some more metres off that kick

Sexton's leg appears to be fine!

Need the mother of all efforts in this last 15 minutes. Going to come down to some unbelievable hard work and determination if we are to hold on!

A yellow??  thought a penalty would have been grand

Interesting now!

I must admit- that is a very harsh decision, that was not a yellow. Penalty definitely, but no yellow. Could be decisive.

Would rather win it 15 vs 15.

stub wrote:

Golden wrote:If Sextons leg is tight or in some pain why not let Kearney take it? Could have done with some more metres off that kick

Sexton's leg appears to be fine!

Ye i may have been a bit quick with that.  

 But in fairness he went down to stretch his leg then had two bad kicks in a row.

have to say thats a BS yellow card for SA

Bit harsh (yellow) but he was tipped up whilst in the air.

Golden wrote:

stub wrote:

Golden wrote:If Sextons leg is tight or in some pain why not let Kearney take it? Could have done with some more metres off that kick

Sexton's leg appears to be fine!

Ye i may have been a bit quick with that.  

 But in fairness he went down to stretch his leg then had two bad kicks in a row.

Ha ha!

Disgusting refereeing. Boks you might as well leave the field now and dont bother to continue the game

Looks like this is going to be a big with for Ireland,

They have defended very well, that combined with SA errors has meant they have always looked to be in control of this game.

The basic errors from the Boks today defy belief. I think they are just mentally a bit rattled out there.

TOMMMMMYYYYYYYY!

YES!! YES!!

Dublin's not an easy place for anyone to play.

This btw is the Schmidt factor   

fair do's to Ireland - leading the charge for the northern hemisphere

stub wrote: Dublin's not an easy place for anyone to play.

(Apart from the Irish)

Keep it up Ireland, give the NH a reason to smile.

It's been a great performance. Belief and execution. Rode our luck in the first half but the Boks have panicked. We haven't.

Gotta go out now but well played Ireland - excellent stuff. 6N could be interesting this year..

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Come on you bloody Ireland.

Well played Ireland, really big performance. Enjoy it!

Oh and thanks for making the boks angry for when we play them, haha

What a win. Very proud of the team.

Commiserations to Biltong, Bullsbok etc.

Golden wrote:This btw is the Schmidt factor   

Shoite, I may have to look further into this 'Scmidt Factor' thingy.

Great win there, harsh yellow but it was very much coming as SA had committed a large amount of team fouls.

We've become such an intelligent team under Schmidt. Everything Ireland do now has something Schmidtly cunning about it. He anticipated South Africa trying to blow us away with lineout mauls and devised a plan to deal with it, which was executed beautifully.
Tactics and strategy are absolutely exemplary under Schmidt. Huge amount of credit to the players for matching South Africa physically, cause if you don't do that strategy tends to go out the window very quickly against the Boks.

George Hook acknowledges hes wrong 

Oh god now hes bigging us up, that cant be good.

Great win, Ireland always looked in control tbh. I think we're starting to see some benefits of Kiwi coaches across Ireland.

Golden wrote:George Hook acknowledges hes wrong 

Oh god now hes bigging us up, that cant be good.

When George Hook gets it wrong, he always find a way to get it wrong in a different sense

Notch wrote:What a win. Very proud of the team.

Commiserations to Biltong, Bullsbok etc.

Agreed, feel the yellow in particular was harsh on SA, but I love the rivalry we have with you lads. Bring on the tour to South Africa.

Was that our first game without O'Driscoll. That wasn't so bad was it?

Congratulations Ireland. I'll claim it for the Northern Hemisphere in time but, for now, that win is all yours.

Notch wrote:

Golden wrote:George Hook acknowledges hes wrong 

Oh god now hes bigging us up, that cant be good.

When George Hook gets it wrong, he always find a way to get it wrong in a different sense

Sad images of Meyer in the dressing room by himself.


Ruddock had a great game considering he wouldnt have been preparing to play that position all week.

Such a massive win that was.

FecklessRogue wrote:Was that our first game without O'Driscoll. That wasn't so bad was it?

Who..?

Notch wrote:

Golden wrote:George Hook acknowledges hes wrong 

Oh god now hes bigging us up, that cant be good.

When George Hook gets it wrong, he always find a way to get it wrong in a different sense

Every conceivable thing about George Hook is Wrong. Whenever his smug, battered face appears on my television, I need to open a window just to let some of the Wrong out.

Well done, Ireland. Incidentally, you might want to catch highlights of Scotland-Pumas game. Nine tries in that one.

Well done Ireland.

To those asking earlier what the Schmidt effect is, well I think the Springboks just found out!

George Carlin wrote:

Notch wrote:

Golden wrote:George Hook acknowledges hes wrong 

Oh god now hes bigging us up, that cant be good.

When George Hook gets it wrong, he always find a way to get it wrong in a different sense

Every conceivable thing about George Hook is Wrong. Whenever his smug, battered face appears on my television, I need to open a window just to let some of the Wrong out.

Well done, Ireland. Incidentally, you might want to catch highlights of Scotland-Pumas game. Nine tries in that one.

In a Scottish Game?? 

Congrats GC



Man, I love Joe