Southern Hemisphere to dominate on Saturday
Roar Guru By Demers, 8 Jun 2012 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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- All Blacks, Argentina Rugby Union, Ireland Rugby, Rugby Union, Springboks, Super Rugby, Wales Rugby Union, wallabies
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There’s some big-time rugby this weekend and you can expect the Southern Hemisphere to come out the winner.
The Wallabies play Wales at Suncorp, the All Blacks play Ireland at Eden Park, the Springboks play England at Durban and the Pumas play Italy at San Juan in the wine-growing region of Argentina.
The All Blacks have chosen three new caps in winger Julian Savea, halfback Aaron Smith and lock Brodie Retallick.
Otherwise, it’s the usual suspects plus the inclusion of Sonny Bill Williams and Victor Vito.
The Boks’ squad stirred up some dissent in the Republic with some surprising omissions.
But there has also been some cheers, with bench-prop Coenie Oosthuizen and the addition of three new starters – Eben Etzebeth and Jaundre Kruger in the second row and tackle machine Marcel Coetzee at flanker.
The Pumas will be without their European club players, but have Graham Henry in their corner.
The hangdog Wallabies will be somewhat different from the team that lost to Scotland.
Yet the side will still contain some questionable talent, coached by a man who these days is one of the most unpopular men in Australia.
I’ve combed several rugby forums around the world and traded numerous international e-mails with rugby fans in regards to Saturday’s matches.
Here are the results.
Ireland’s team is tremendously well-liked everywhere, but has been written off.
Nobody in the world can put out a team that can compete with the combined talents of Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Dan Carter, ‘SBW’, Aaron Smith and Israel Dagg to name but a few.
A clear win for the Southern Hemisphere there.
England has no real stars.
They have a solid pack, but one without Matt Stevens and Tom Croft.
While Tuilagi takes some stopping, Toby Flood doesn’t.
The Boks have a fearsome front row and ball-winning locks, plus a great halfback and not one but two Stynes.
The Morne type is worth nine points to the Boks even before the game begins.
A clear Southern Hemisphere win there, too.
Things get closer in Argentina.
Expect a forward battle, but the nod goes to the home team. Just.
Regarding the game we’re all waiting for, the Wallabies were favoured before the Newcastle debacle.
But not any more.
Last week, quite a few people thought that even without Quade Cooper, James Horwill, James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale, Drew Mitchell and Lachie Turner the Wallabies might just have enough to get on top of Wales.
But now the Wallabies are seen as fifteen embarrassed men who’ve lost confidence in their coach and his tactics.
Fo some, it’s because of Tuesday’s performance. For others, it’s because of their teammates’ performances.
The Wallabies will be running out at Suncorp toting a 600-pound gorilla – the pressure of having to win or go into hiding.
On the other hand, Wales is seen for what they are – a grand-slam side with a pack strong enough to force the Wallabies into retreat.
They also possess a potent backline, which will run the ball and leave the box kicks to their opponents.
Wales is the easy favourite, which makes Saturday’s prediction 3-1 Southern Hemisphere.
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June 8th 2012 @ 2:22am
Ben S said | June 8th 2012 @ 2:22am | Report comment
Matt Stevens doesn’t start for England,;Aaron Smith is totally unproven at Test level; the Boks don’t have a fearsome front row; Toby Flood isn’t starting on Saturday; Wales don’t run the ball that much…
June 8th 2012 @ 9:23am
Joshy said | June 8th 2012 @ 9:23am | Report comment
The Bok front row is one of the worlds best. They took apart Dan Cole and co. in yet another England humbling in 2010. That was of course when Os du Randt was the scrum coach.
You must be thinking of the time when John Smit was still farting around.
June 8th 2012 @ 9:53pm
Ben S said | June 8th 2012 @ 9:53pm | Report comment
The SA front row is nowhere near the top echelons. They didn’t take England apart either, just like they didn’t take apart the 2009 Lions. Mtawarira is an illegal scrummager who has been routed by numerous European props and Jannie du Plessis is nothing more than a journeyman.
June 8th 2012 @ 12:21pm
Wales15 said | June 8th 2012 @ 12:21pm | Report comment
England don’t even have a solid pack.
June 8th 2012 @ 2:38am
kingplaymaker said | June 8th 2012 @ 2:38am | Report comment
Agree with the England prediction. They leave out much talent in the backline for solid plodders, although the pack is very good although perhaps similar in style to the Boks.
Australia’s main problem on saturday will actually be the backs: with Cooper, Beale, JOC AND Tomane injured there is a real shortfall of attacking zip from the department that was normally relied upon to win matches in recent history. Barnes, Ioane and Vuna will have to provide everything in attack for the Wallabies to win. On the plus side, the front row and back row are the best for a very long time indeed and although the second row lacks power it should easily deal with the Wales threat in the lineout and hit every ruck. The Welsh team are good in quality but bad in coaching without Gatland.
New Zealand show the depth the Wallabies don’t have and the match will be mostly interesting to see how players such as SBW, Vito etc.. look.
June 8th 2012 @ 6:17am
mania said | June 8th 2012 @ 6:17am | Report comment
wow kpm – thought aus would’ve learnt , never never never underestimate the irish
June 8th 2012 @ 2:50am
wallaby fan said | June 8th 2012 @ 2:50am | Report comment
Matt stevens is no loss.
The English have a very good side and by the last round of the 6 nations they were the best side running around. their tight five is so powerful in all facets and their new no 8 Morgan is going to be something special. plus they now have a good coach. i don’t think they realise it but they are going to win their series. NZ will lose one test match as well against an Irish team full of heineken cup confidence and Wales will only lose the series against australia if we beat this saturday and due to o’neill’s stupid scheduling of an extra match on teusday we may lose the first match which will make it hard for us to win the series even though we have a better side.
June 8th 2012 @ 3:28am
bluerose said | June 8th 2012 @ 3:28am | Report comment
i gonna monitor my blood pressure this next 3weeks, i hope that after the Wallabies-Wales 3test series im still in good health, im looking at a 2-1 to Wales but IF WE win on Sat then im going for a 2-1 to Aust
June 8th 2012 @ 5:36am
Miglia said | June 8th 2012 @ 5:36am | Report comment
BEN S – it was always the Boks’ backs you didn’t rate. Now you doubt the power of their FR? You don’t like the Boks much, do you?
KPM – you really think Sharpe and Simmons will “easily deal” with Luke Charteris and Brad Davis? In the first half, it’s doubtful. It’s very, very doubtful in the second half as there’s no replacement for Sharpe unless Dennis plays out of position.
WALLABY FAN – with POC sort of recovered but not realy Ireland couldn’t take even one test from the ABs on a bet. And we don’t have a better side than the Welsh because we’ve been forced to field AAC, Barnes and Horne.
June 8th 2012 @ 5:42am
Ben S said | June 8th 2012 @ 5:42am | Report comment
That’s an endearingly childish comment. Feel free to actually peruse what I’ve written on the various SA v England threads.
June 8th 2012 @ 6:03am
wallaby fan said | June 8th 2012 @ 6:03am | Report comment
agree Barnes and Horne are not ideal. (at the moment we really have no other options)
AAC is world class and if you can’t see that then I’m concerned about you.
Really the outside backs matter little. It is the 8 forwards and Genia that need to come up with the gods and I believe we are stronger from 1 to 3 and 7 to 9. they are stronger from 4 to 6 but overall we have the better of them from 1 to 9.
i say Barnes and priestland are much of a muchness and cancel each other out.
June 8th 2012 @ 6:23am
mania said | June 8th 2012 @ 6:23am | Report comment
WF – AAC is world class but could be even better if deans didnt move him around so much. deans is ruining AAC’s career
June 8th 2012 @ 5:38am
kingplaymaker said | June 8th 2012 @ 5:38am | Report comment
Miglia I was only talking about the lineout and yes Sharpe/Simmons is an excellent pair for that department.
June 8th 2012 @ 4:02pm
bluerose said | June 8th 2012 @ 4:02pm | Report comment
agree KPM there are excellent in the lineout but im sure they’ll be very weak in the scrums and thats my fear, the scrums is where we tend to give alot of penalties, i hope they (Sharpe/Simmons) prove me wrong otherwise Deans will infront of the firing squad again, i suspect there be changes in the 2nd test but Sharpe/Simmons will be putting alot of pressure on our frontrows during scrum time, Douglass should be playing instead of Simmons with Sharpe providing the guidance for Douglass.
June 8th 2012 @ 5:39am
Viscount Crouchback said | June 8th 2012 @ 5:39am | Report comment
A rather facile analysis, it must be said.
June 8th 2012 @ 6:12am
Demers said | June 8th 2012 @ 6:12am | Report comment
Hello again, Ben. I’m afraid the forum editors chose the wrong first name in my post. I of course meant Conrad not Aaron. But the Ireland/ABs game is an easy call. The Boks/England game harder. Meyer has more or less stated that they’re going to kick and kick again which is a great shame. He knows that Brown, Ashton and Foden will run it back at them but he’s apparently prepared to take the risk with Habana and Pietersen handling the chases. What do you think of the Marler inclusion? He’s 21 and not yet got his full strength, and Beast and Jannie are both taller and heavier. And Hartley – not your favourite player as I recall – has to go up against Bismarck. I don’t see Botha being up to it but am looking forward to Morgan making a big difference. Toby’s riding the pine for this one but may come on if the penalty kicks go astray.
June 8th 2012 @ 6:25am
Ben S said | June 8th 2012 @ 6:25am | Report comment
Re: Conrad – fair enough.
Mtawaira isn’t really rated in Europe. It’s more of a SA/Super rugby thing, and Jannie du Plessis is little more than a journeyman. He’s no Cobus Visagie in the scrum. A lot depends on the interpretation of the scrummage, but the English pack has held up very well against some very good European scrums.
I think Hartley and Bismarck actually have one thing in common – they both overplay their hand and try to take too much on. Bismarck is a fine player, but he’s a bit of a penalty magnet and he tends to ignore other players when he carries. I’ve also read that he isn’t the greatest scrummaging hooker out there.
June 8th 2012 @ 6:38am
Miglia said | June 8th 2012 @ 6:38am | Report comment
Let’s have a look at some of your previous posts re the Boks Ben. The ones that praise them. I recall one in which you admitted they might skunk England three zip, but I can remember you saying on several instances that SA has ineffective backs. And now you think their front row is less than fearsome. BTW, I didn’t mean you don’t like the Bock 15 as people, but it does seem you feel they don’t deserve their current world ranking. So let’s hear from you – where would you rank them right now, before Saturday’s test, and where do you rank England, before Saturday’s test?
June 8th 2012 @ 6:45am
Ben S said | June 8th 2012 @ 6:45am | Report comment
You seem to be just meshing random things together. If you’re going to look at some of my previous posts then look at them, not just offer a half-hearted paraphrase.
I didn’t at any point say SA don’t deserve their world ranking.
If you want to satisfy your own curiosity just peruse the SA v England thread. This is a pretty pointless discussion otherwise.
June 8th 2012 @ 7:15am
Miglia said | June 8th 2012 @ 7:15am | Report comment
It’s only pointless if you choose to back off, Ben, and I hope you don’t. You’re one of the few people on this forum who has excellent insights into the world’s top teams, specially your own. That said, I seem to have a clearer memory of your posts than you do. You’re down on the Boks. That’s okay. A lot of people have a team they don’t personally rate and hate to lose to. I doubt you’re feeling too happy because even though you fear a defeat, you’re hoping for a win. It ain’t gonna be a great game anyway because, as Ashton said, “When they kick it to us we’re going to kick it back.” Tell you what. Go down to the Bricklayers on Saturday, buy a pint of Spitfire and put it on Spiro’s tab.
June 8th 2012 @ 8:19am
Ben S said | June 8th 2012 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Mate, I’ve written extensively on more than one article which is just down the other side of the rugby page. I’m not being funny but I couldn’t be bothered to retype what you can see for yourself quite easily.
I’m not down on the Boks at all. As I point out elsewhere, I rate some of their players, but not others – same with England, Ireland, Wales, Australia etc.
Not drinking on Saturday – don’t want to miss the action. Can’t wait.