Comments on: Prediction time, it must be the Springboks

By: Greg Smith

Greg Smith — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:25:52 +0000

I’m an English speaking Saffa ! But I’d never support the Lions. However, you get some idiots that do (also South African ones – you know the type eternally riding an English high horse ?!)

We have a variety of derogatory nicknames for them : –

1. Nupee’s (the new Pom – fresh off the boat 1st generation)
2. Soetpiel (Afrikaner term for ‘salty penis’ – the image of a person with one leg in Africa & another in England & his penis dangling in the Atlantic (nowhere near the British Virgin Isles – unfortunately) is implied)
3. Rooi nek (Afrikaner term for scarlet or rose-red types adjusting to sunburn, literally ‘red neck’)
3. Mlungu (Xhosa term (although more general for all Europeans) the name of the white sea foam/froth that drifts in off the ocean

Judge, Sir, Mister, Your Honour, Your Majesty or Your Highness, Redcoat, Brit, Pom, Pommies, fUK’ers(From the UK), Engelsman(Englishman – usually said in thick Saffa accent) and Boss could also be used with varying degree’s of insult or irony.

Not long till kick off now – got myself 2 bottles of US$2 fine Saffa red wine and having a BBQ with the family – win or lose, you can’t go wrong ! If the Lions don’t win today … it’s gonna be a long tough tour for them (almost want to give a wee shout for them… nah !) – Boks 38 – 31 but with a red card & post match citing (and if I get my wish… they’ll make it count and take BOD’s head off !) Watch out for Jacque Fourie off the bench BOD !

By: pothale

pothale — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:26:58 +0000

I suspect he means British immigrants, VC, from where he’s standing.

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:08:29 +0000

The more I think about the initial Lions selection the more puzzled I become. The SA forwards are likely to be better equipped to play a dynamic game on the harder dry grounds due to the ELVs and the fact it is their back yard, what they greq up with. Their weakness lies in the tight, and yet McGeechan and company select a team designed to test their fitness ? I may be being stupid here but I thought the genesis of success lay in the tight, especially if one team has a very dominant scrum and the other has a mediocre scrum. I hope the backs can save the day.

By: Viscount Crouchback

Viscount Crouchback — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:57:08 +0000

Do you mean British emigrants, Greg? Or just English-speaking locals?

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:56:42 +0000

‘I see Kings Park Stadium management in Durban is worried the place will be all red. Durban is home to a huge amount of ‘new’ (English passport waving) South Africans who rapidly put their red jumpers on at the drop of half a crown…’

That’s excellent, Greg. Comment of the day. Keep slugging big guy.

By: Greg Smith

Greg Smith — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:09:15 +0000

I see Kings Park Stadium management in Durban is worried the place will be all red. Durban is home to a huge amount of ‘new’ (English passport waving) South Africans who rapidly put their red jumpers on at the drop of half a crown…

Organisers have called for a bit of green ! Basically a home game for the Lions, I’d say ! Or the closest thing they’re likely to get to one in South Africa.

Miss this opportunity… then it’s all uphill to Loftus & Ellis Park …

By: ohtani's jacket,

ohtani's jacket, — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:13:44 +0000

What is it with the Test selections in the SH of late? Why does every coach want to reinvent the wheel?

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:49:32 +0000

..Excuse me..

Anyway, point I was making, Sam, is that the Lions can’t really lose, I suppose. There’s no expectation from the outside and nobody in SA seems to respect or rate them, so what have I got to lose? Lions by 15, what the hell?! I definitely won’t be making any bets with that score difference in mind, however.

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:30:28 +0000

I disagree there, Sam. The word great is bandied about all too easily. I said to a Springbok fan a few months ago that if SA were a great side as has been regularly claimed, they would experience a S14 win (box ticked), a 3N win featuring away victories and in between those two a 3-0 whitewash of the Lions. If you think about it, there is no way a Lions team should win an away series. No way.

By: pothale

pothale — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:21:26 +0000

Had a quick peek into Mrs Pothale’s Crystal Ball (whilst she was out counting the stars) and the strong feeling of karma coupled with the sun setting at 21.19 on that day indicates that a team using the colour green will win the game.

Have visited young Mr PaddyPower and am considering putting my French winnings on the correct team at odds of 11/5.

However, another French upset victory on Saturday would yield better results at 10/3.

Decisions, decisions…..

By: Shahsan

Shahsan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:50:25 +0000

Yes, or Graham Henry in 2001. If McGeechan can pull it off a series win he will not just win a test series, he will also be debunking claims by henry and Woodward that the only way Lions tours can work is if you select a first XV and cottonwool them and play the drirtrackers against the provincial teams.

By: Sam Taulelei

Sam Taulelei — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:30:43 +0000

Lions to win first test by 10 points. Doesn’t suggest that SA are not a great team if they lose but the Boks are taking unnecessary risks with their selections at 10 and 15 when they had in form candidates available. The loss of Burger will be keenly felt despite the impressive form by Heinrich Brussow in the Super 14. The Lions have selected a solid and in form side that certainly looks and plays like a united and focused team. It is a well balanced selection and shows the value of giving all the players games to impress in the leadup to the first test with little evidence that this was a preconceived selection a la Woodward in 2005.

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:59:24 +0000

Everybody is backing SA so I might as well risk my arm and go for a Lions win. If the Lions win then SA aren’t a great team, and if SA win then they are the World Champions, after all. It’s win win scenario. I think the Lions have the backs to play that piano. Although, I would wager that with the amount of passes gone amiss from the Lions that Habana and JdV might pick up a few intercepts. I believe that the scrum will be an evenly matched battle and the game will come down to the lineout, place kicks and whose backs do more with the ball. Lions for me. Yeehaa!

By: Shahsan

Shahsan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:58:00 +0000

When the Lions squad was first chosen I thought they looked very much like the squad of 1983: lots of worthy players but no real stardust quality, unlike the squads of 1989, 97 and 2001. They were also, like now, capatined by an Irishman, and Ireland are again champions of teh north. They 1983 Lions were beaten 4-0 by NZ, and like now, doubts have been raised about the captain.
But after watching all six of their buildup games, i think this team is different. It looks like a well-drilled, properly prepared team, and i think they will beat the Boks, who seem a litlle over-confident and underdone. But only in the first test. I think the Boks will go away chastened and come back to win the subsequent two.

By: Greg Smith

Greg Smith — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:11:43 +0000

The ‘soft landing’ some say the British & Irish Lions have been gifted with the 1st Test in Durban (aka the Last Outpost of the British Empire) might actually backfire.

South Africans hammer those resident in Durban (and the province of KZ Natal) as Pom wannabe’s and I think the Springboks might want to use a Durban victory as an EXTRA insult or bit of salt in the wounds.

A Durban loss to the British & Irish Lions would be like ‘the Empire’ confirming their stranglehold on this territory and you could just about re-hoist the Union Jack !

Sullying the image of the Boks, red cards, yellow cards and citings form part of the battery the B&I Lions present the South Africans before we think of victory. (On the flipside, sullying the B&I Lions reputation, red cards, yellow cards, and citings should be what Springboks fans are looking for beyond a mere victory !)

With the referee situation as it is… I’d put my money on the British & Irish Lions to get their ‘boot in’ with the above Cards & Citings strategy – win or lose ! (It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where the Lions could be cited, pick up a yellow or heaven forbid a Red Card !)

It’s much easier to see the Boks reaping these !

My prediction – 1 citing and 2 red cards and 3 yellows before the 3N begins !

By: fox

fox — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:16:03 +0000

“The Tahs couldnt organise a bunch of backs to catch and pass in more than 5 months, when it took Deans 1 week, so the Tahs are not far behind the Koalas.” – LeftArmSpinner

As much as the backs coaching and management were questionable, the Tahs were, in fact, NOT behind the Reds at all. I would say the Reds were actually 6 spots on the ladder behind the Tahs, not the other way around.

By: van der Merwe

van der Merwe — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:40:18 +0000

Knives, Guy’s reasons are as good as any. Although, I’m intrigued to see Steyn at 15, considering how long calls have come for him play there.

By: Thurston Fallout

Thurston Fallout — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:23:39 +0000

I see the result as 4-0 Boks. 4-0? How do I figure that? By the scores of the three tests.

A dab of Windex on my crystal ball reveals this: Saturday’s test in Durban will be 21-17 Boks, the second test will be 20-13 Boks, and the third 23-18 Boks. That’s an aggregate of 64 points for the Boks and 48 for the Lions. So a phantom fourth test, at the same ratio, makes that one 21-16 Boks.

For the Lions to go home whitewashed 3-0 is bad enough, but to have to return beaten
4-0…Geech will be slaughtered by the Brit and Irish media.

But what if I’m wrong and the Lions win the first test and, against all expectations, win the second as well? If this should happen, the Boks will be within their rights to lodge a protest and have any close rulings that went against them in the first test reviewed. If the review board upholds the Boks’ protest, then the third test decides the series except if the Lions win in which case the host team can lodge a protest regarding any close rulings in the second test.

At first glance this may seem a little biased, but a panel of SH rugby lawyers saw nothing wrong with it, and to judge by the sentiments expressed on this forum, I think most Roarers will think it eminently fair.

By: pothale

pothale — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:25:07 +0000

I’ve a feeling one of the games will get drawn. So 2-0 or 1-1 is a possibility, Mungehead.

By: Mungehead

Mungehead — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:46:38 +0000

Doh, mistype, I meant 3 – 0!

By: Mungehead

Mungehead — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:45:31 +0000

Prediction time? 2 – 0 to the Boks, with no close games. No offense meant Lions supporters, that’s just what I think.

By: Frank O'Keeffe

Frank O'Keeffe — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:11:13 +0000

What in the world is de Villiers thinking putting Steyn at fullback? I suppose with Percy retired and Jantjes injured he had to come up with something, but golly he’s taking a gamble.

My prediction is the Boks will win this 2-1 with the final game being the decided. But I’m right behind the Lions and cheering hard!

Hopefully de Villiers has stuffed around with the side too much for the Boks to be supreme…

By: Guy Smiley

Guy Smiley — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:43:53 +0000

10 – Morne Steyn should be playing instead of Pienaar – once again the Boks have gone into a Lions test without a first-choice goal-kicker, just like the 97 series and we know what happened there (better team went down through stupid selection policies). Played very little rugby in the last three months. I thought Steyn was the answer to SA’s perennial problem at 10 but PdV doesn’t agree

13 – Fourie is twice the player Jacobs is

15 – Frans Steyn is a poor fullback and doesn’t even like playing there, his preferred positions are 10 & 12 (he’s no good at 10 either). For all his talent he’s yet to carve a niche for himself, he’s a bit of a square peg. Like Pienaar, has very little match practice and wasn’t even expected to be over his knee injury in time for this game. Underdone.

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:48:20 +0000

What’s your beef with 10, 13 and 15, van der Merwe? Or at least, why would you not question Justin’s questioning of those guys?

By: van der Merwe

van der Merwe — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:20:43 +0000

“Questions over 10, 13, 14, 15 IMO.”

What’s your beef with JP?

By: mcxd

mcxd — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:42:59 +0000

ive had enough…..please, please, just start the damn game.

By: Guy Smiley

Guy Smiley — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:42:10 +0000

Dead right Justin -Steyn is hugely overrated. Although physical he offers little as an attacking threat. No subtlety at all and runs predictable lines plus wastes considerable ball with long pots at goal, of which he scores 1/3. Lee Byrne’s prodigious boot is just as good as his.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:25:31 +0000

Kirshner was far and away the best 15 also. Does Steyn have some dirt on someone? He is overrated, especially at 15!!!

By: jools-usa

jools-usa — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:24:54 +0000

Hey Mike Hayes,
Would you not put O’Connell in 1st World Team, maybe with Matfield?
Don’t see any NZ, OZ, Fr, players as good right now.
Jools-USA

By: Virgil

Virgil — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:21:13 +0000

Totally agree Justin. How can you not reward the best 5/8 of the S14 tournament with a starting jersey – he was leagues ahead of any other SA 5/8. Instead they wheel out someone to play out of position. Dubious.