Boks go for experience against anxious Lions
Roar Guru By Lazlo Fade, 3 Jun 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Andre Pretorius, british and irish lions, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Golden Lions, International Rugby, Jongi Nokwe, Lawrence Sephaka, Odwa Ndungane, Rugby Union, South Africa rugby, Springboks
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Nobody can accuse the Springboks of going out on a limb. Thirteen of the fourteen forwards in their just-announced Test squad have a total of 452 caps between them, with Chiliboy Ralepelle being the ‘almost’ new kid on the block with only three to his distinctive name.
Ten of the backs total 331 caps between them, the less experienced being Odwa Ndungane and Jongi Nokwe, each with 3. There are just new caps in the squad, Morne Steyn and Earl Rose.
However, the immediate focus is on the British and Irish Lions on Wednesday night when they play the Golden Lions.
Brian O’Driscoll is the captain for the visitors, alongside no less than eleven other players getting their first run on the tour. So people are wondering if, because of the poor showing against the Royal XV, Geech has been forced to play his Saturday side mid-week.
The bottom line is that, with the starting team retaining only three players from last Saturday, this is in effect another first game for the Lions. But this one will be in front of the majority of their fans who’ll be arriving for what they consider to be the real beginning of the tour.
At the same time, Coke Park (actually Coca-Cola Park, which is the old Ellis Park if you were confused) is sold out, so they’ll be more Saffers than Barmies.
And the noise will be phenomenal.
As for predictions, while it’s true that the locals did not have a great Super 14, won’t have Jacques Fourie, and are understrength in the second row, they can still list, as of writing, Lawrence Sephaka, Andre Pretorius, Jano Vermaak, and a fine back row led by Cobus Grobbelaar and Willem Alberts.
So stand back, there may be blood.
Commenting on last Saturday’s game, Jamie Roberts was reported to have described it as the wake up call the Lions needed.
It would have been less embarrassing had the Lions just set their alarm clocks.
June 3rd 2009 @ 5:56am
pothale said | June 3rd 2009 @ 5:56am | Report comment
Lazlo – people are not ‘wondering if Geech has been forced to play his Saturday side mid-week’.
The reason why there are only three players retained from the Rustenberg match is that Geech has said they want every squad player to have had at least one game after three matches. There are 37 players in the squad. 15 got to play last week. 12 this Wed and the remainder such as Halfpenny, Fitzgerald and O’Callaghan in Saturday’s match.
Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the right one.
June 3rd 2009 @ 6:55am
GladFop said | June 3rd 2009 @ 6:55am | Report comment
POTHALE –
And sometimes the simplest explanations are totally transparent.
Like any coach in any sport, what McGeechan says for publication and what he says in private are two different things. Anybody at all connected knows he intended to mothball BOD from the start. He didn’t want to risk him on a Wednesday game. Nor did he want to partner him with Roberts (likely test combo) so soon. Word is he wanted to play O’Gara to back up against the G. Lions, but while O’G remains a great place kicker, he’s nobody’s idea of a great fly half, and the Lions’ backs have to perform against the G. Lions or the team’s moral will be shot to hell.
There’s little doubt that last Saturday’s mess has forced Geech back to the drawing board.
He’s definitely not playing the team he had penciled in. He wants a big and confident win on Wednesday night so he’s going to his Irish option, stacking this team with quality way before he thought he’d have to.
June 3rd 2009 @ 7:06am
pothale said | June 3rd 2009 @ 7:06am | Report comment
Eh no. I don’t agree with your analysis. You’re wrong.
June 3rd 2009 @ 7:20am
Knives Out said | June 3rd 2009 @ 7:20am | Report comment
‘Anybody at all connected knows he intended to mothball BOD from the start.’
Connected to whom? Are you in the rugby mafia?
Also, what Irish option? There are as many starting Welsh players as there are Irish players. Who else would McGeechan have picked at 12 if not Roberts? Flutey is injured as is Fitzgerald.
June 3rd 2009 @ 7:37am
pothale said | June 3rd 2009 @ 7:37am | Report comment
Stop using facts, KO. He’ll get annoyed. And he’s connected so … you know….don’t get him angry or you might end up ‘sleeping with the bootlaces’.
June 3rd 2009 @ 8:19am
Knives Out said | June 3rd 2009 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Capisco.
June 3rd 2009 @ 9:24am
GladFop said | June 3rd 2009 @ 9:24am | Report comment
Yes, Pothale and Knives, there is a rugby mafia, but you two will never get into it unless you know where Jimmy Hook is buried. It’s unwise to take the Mob’s name in vain, as you don’t want to wake up after the first test with a lion’s head in your bed.
Anyway, keep on texting each other. The rest of us on this forum will continue to look on tolerantly and chuckle. But please don’t be hurt – remember, we’re not laughing with you, we’re laughing at you.
June 3rd 2009 @ 10:32am
pothale said | June 3rd 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
Ooh – I’m crushed. And you’re still wrong.
Lazlo contended in his article: “people are wondering if, because of the poor showing against the Royal XV, Geech has been forced to play his Saturday side mid-week.”
I say no, he hasn’t been.
If Geech and all his coaching staff state publicly that they are going to play all squad members in the first three games – this is not something you can then decide to change privately and no-one will notice. They either play or they don’t.
BOD will play two games before the first test. As planned and as stated publicly. One is tomorrow and either game 4 or 5.
“He didn’t want to risk him on a Wednesday game.” What nonsense. Says who? You? Where’s your evidence for that? And what’s the difference between a Wed game and a Sat game in the warm-up matches?
Fitzgerald, Earls, Flutey, O’Gara are injured and not available for selection. Injuries happen. You use other members of your squad.
Kearney needs game time – he got picked – despite Byrne having a great game as acknowledged by all. So why not stick with Byrne to follow your logic? Because Kearney needs game time.
“O’Gara is nobody’s idea of a great fly-half.” More nonsense. Says who? You? He put 22 points on the board in the first match, made one try and scored another. He has nothing to prove on the basis of that game. And he’s carrying a light injury. Either way, it’s Stephen Jones who needs to step up to the mark in the next game. The obvious person to play back-up is Hook since he may have to drop into that slot.
“Word is he wanted to play O’Gara as back-up”. What “word” are you talking about? Are you trying to hint at some inner channel that you have to the coaching team, that the rest of us are not privy to? Do tell.
“He’s definitely not playing the team he had pencilled in.” Says who? You? Where’s your evidence for that assertion? Are you part of some inner sanctum? Or maybe you’d prefer to ignore the obvious that Geech has just picked the team for the next match, based on trying everyone once in the first three matches, the kind of opposition, and taking injuries into consideration. It’s what coaches do.
When you’ve stopped laughing, perhaps you could provide the details for us as to the real story from someone who is “connected”.
June 3rd 2009 @ 11:20pm
Ben J said | June 3rd 2009 @ 11:20pm | Report comment
I’m just glad Greg Smith’s not here…
June 4th 2009 @ 12:21am
Knives Out said | June 4th 2009 @ 12:21am | Report comment
I’m just glad Hemjay’s not here…