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The last week of the June Internationals are upon us, and all attention turns to… Port Elizabeth!
Yes, never mind the dead rubbers, all attention should be directed toward the picturesque Nelsen Mandela Bay Stadium where South Africa and Ireland will battle it out after two cracking Tests so far.
And yes, there are other games too, but come on…
A perfect record last week means Digger leads us off again, while I’ve stumped up this week’s Big Question.
Last week: Digger 5; Harry and The Crowd 4, Paddy 3; Brett 2.
Diggercane: “I see no reason to deviate from last week’s tips, so I won’t.
“Wales in my view simply do not have a squad of 23 to last 80 minutes against New Zealand, and the third game has traditionally not fared well for touring sides there.
“I expect that trend to continue. South Africa perhaps have the ‘bit’ between the teeth and will overwhelm the Irish in Port Elizabeth, who I also expect will be feeling the effects after a long season.
“Scotland to again overcome Japan, while Argentina will be too good for the French.
“And I am predicting an English whitewash across the ditch. Their side looks more cohesive to my eyes, playing with more control and understanding and also give the air of being very determined despite having already wrapped up the series.”
Tips: New Zealand, England, Scotland, South Africa, Argentina.
Harry Jones: “Life is good again, because of ‘Those Magical 19 Minutes at Jozi’ which is how the Ellis Park-area brothels market their services.
“The All Blacks look the complete team now with Israel Dagg – who I think is the best and least appreciated fullback in world rugby – in their back three with the miraculous Ben Smith. Wales have a strong 40 minutes in them, but then they can only hang in there for a few more after oranges with the mighty Kiwi squad who seems to accept their new captain’s leadership and are reaching imperious form already.
“Beauden Barrett (or ‘BBBB’) as a starting flyhalf may keep the Boyos in the third Test a bit longer, but when the clock strikes 60:00, the Hurricanes flyer will turn into Superboy.
“The new, polite, accommodating Springboks will have spent most of the week in the Eastern Cape creating memories at schools, inventing new positive hashtag campaigns, and posing for selfies at petrol stations, but now they have Ruan Combrinck – also known as the Paddy Punisher – in their back three instead of the miraculously stone-handed and leaden-brained Lwazi Mvovo, and have discovered that space is overrated.
“Just run at and over the Irish defenders, or in Damian de Allende’s case, at and over and under and around Conor Murray all in one play.
“I see the Boks taking this rubber by the scruff of the neck by the 30th minute and creating space where it really counts: on the scoreboard. The only worry at the moment is the lack of a healthy No.8 in the squad, but Australia have played Test rugby for years without one, so what’s the problem?
“Australia are struggling. That does not make me happy, because England exultant is one of the least appetising sights you’ll ever behold. It’s enough to almost spoil my dinner. Dan Cole topless might do it, though.
“But here’s the problem: England’s team, as currently constituted, captained, and coached, is just better than Australia’s current squad. The Wallabies’ attack is insipid, the fringes and service too slow, and kicking seems to be verboten, even though I think you’d want the best aerial player in the series making Mike Brown and Jack Nowell prove they can defuse bombs.
“So, I think England will take this, but it will be even nigglier than that niggle-fest we just saw. Which will suit James Haskell, Dan Cole, Dylan Hartley, Maro Itoje, and George Kruis just fine. England will continue to rise in the rankings even though I think the last time they beat South Africans was in the Boer War.
“Argentina are playing a severely depleted French team, with the Top 14 reaching its overpaid crescendo soon in a Barcelona soccer cathedral. Although it seemed like the Toulon-Montpellier semi-final in Rennes was an old Tri Nations reunion, with Matt Giteau (he’d be good against Owen Farrell), Pierre Spies, Bismarck du Plessis, and Ma’a Nonu looking spry.
“So, I suppose I’ll take the Jaguares-turned-Pumas in Tucuman, where the scrum battle might be worthy of a Nicholas Bishop and RobC collaborative piece.
“Scotland will win in Tokyo again, because Scotland is a wee bit better and have more South Africans.”
Tips: New Zealand, England, Scotland, South Africa, Argentina.
Paddy Effeney: “All Blacks just have too much… everything for Wales. While those two tries close to the end were encouraging, they only came after the All Blacks took their foot off the throttle. So once again it’s going to be the Blacks by a bit, and a New Zealand side to win the Super Rugby title.
The Springboks did everything they could to not win the last two games, but got away with one at the death against Ireland. I’ll stick with the Boks, just because they’ve figured out that while they mightn’t be as clever as the Irish yet (give the coach some time), they are bigger and stronger, and probably faster.
The Wallabies have to learn something from having a mountain of ball that they were unable to stick over the line. Basically, the attack was pathetic in its inability to adjust and begin to bend the line (you pick a big team, why are you going wide?).
“I’m backing Australia to learn something, anything, and get one back in front of a thirsty Sydney crowd. They better, or The Roar might explode. I’m hoping for our servers’ sake they do.
“Scotland and the Jaguares to win the other two. Pumas. I meant Pumas and you all knew it. ”
Tips: New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, South Africa, Argentina.
Brett McKay: Much like the Wallabies last weekend, I don’t have much of an explanation.
New Zealand will win easily. Argentina won’t have much trouble with France again, and I suspect Ireland’s best rugby on tour is now behind them.
And because I’m committed to the underdog, Japan and Australia. For. The. Win.
Tips: New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Argentina.
The Big Question (from Brett): Which player – perhaps unexpectedly – has stood out as your personal player of the June Tests?
Digger: “Maro Itoje for me has been the biggest standout during the June series. Have already mentioned before but his skill set is superb, plays with a confidence and maturity that belies his 21 years of age. Remarkable talent and I have to wonder exactly how good he could become. Itoje already came Down Under with big wraps and for once a player has lived up to the hype.
“One player who did surprise me quite a bit was Liam Williams from Wales, the back three utility. Great skill set and an intuitive attacking player; he is the Welsh version of ‘Ben from accounts’. Quality player.”
Harry: “Just above the slippery Welshman Liam Williams, who oozes rugby skill, is the extremely clean but physical Pieter-Steph du Toit. Ten per cent of this carries have ended in tries and he’s breaking tackles, winning turnovers, disrupting lineouts, completing offloads like he really wants to be the new, better Danie Rossouw.
“Kieran Read (I am referring here to his captaincy skills, which surprise me, because I never saw him as a particularly likable fellow), Paddy Jackson (who has thoroughly outplayed Elton Jantjies), and I’m going to mention rock-hard grafter Chris Robshaw.
“Robshaw, opensider turned blindside, was prematurely made skipper by oft-confused Stuart Lancaster in a desire to have his ‘own’ captain moulded by earnest morality, and scapegoated by his home country for the World Cup disaster and mocked by Australian media. He has been in almost every meaningful forward contest in the English series win, backed down for nobody, and led in a quiet, but totally committed way.”
Paddy: “I’ve always liked James Haskell. Not just his immense rig, but his bustling ways. I never really got why he found himself out of the England team at certain periods of his career.
“But in two weeks he’s proven to be the beast we all knew lurked inside that ripped frame. Along with Robshaw, he’s proven the English backrow can out-tackle, out-run and out-pilfer the Aussie trio that did a number on them at the World Cup last year. It’s been a backrow demolition.
“The way he limped off the field, barely able to stand but still somehow wanting to play on epitomised why England have already won this series.”
Brett: Well, I was going to say Robshaw too, but that’s clearly too mainstream now.
So I’ll go back to Ireland captain Rory Best, who as I mentioned last week has just been phenomenal in his output on the park, and his leadership of men. Ireland lost some pretty handy players before this tour kicked off, but Best has led his side around absolutely superbly.
He was magnificent at Newlands, and put in another high-quality performance last weekend at Ellis Park. I don’t think it’s coincidence that the aforementioned ’19 Minutes at Jozi’ came after Best went off in the second Test.
And I’ll give a shout-out to Ruan Combrinck, too. Has there been a better game-changing cameo on Test debut? What a player, what an impact he had! Just gave everything for the jersey, turned the game on his head, and it’s largely because of him that South Africa aren’t starring down the same abyss at the Wallabies this week.
The Summary
Now over to you guys…
Make your selection in each of the five Tests below, and we’ll collate all the votes and publish the results after 2pm AEDT on Friday afternoon.