Poor bench nearly costs Springboks

Wales have won 1 from 20 tests against SANZAR opposition over the last 5 years. Scotland have won 3/8 over the same period. As for Australia, stats will show that the only reason they are ranked #2, is because of their recent run of wins against SA. Against 5N teams, over the last 5 years - NZ have won 25/27 (92%) SA have won 17/20 (85%) Aus have won 17/25 (68%) The only reason Wales are ranked 4, is because of their success in the 6N - but as far as wins against SANZAR teams are concerned, they should be ranked under Scotland, England, Ireland, France.

Big Call Steve.h, this far out . Interestingly, Joe Roff called it a Wallabies versus Wales 2015 Final. Then again, it might be a replay of last final New Zealand versus France. The number one and number two teams rarely get to play each in the World Cup, in the final. It’s normally in the semi-final. I think the Boks will improve slowly, as will England. What I am really looking forward too is when Johan Goosen runs out wearing the Bok jersey. Also when Schalk and Juan Smith return. In a strange way Australia and South Africa have both been lucky when it comes to the injuries they currently have. Australia have quite a few options for number 10, when all fit. It’s one of the positions where they have depth. Cooper, O’Conner, Beale were all injured, but the 4th choice Berrick Barnes is pretty okay. The Boks would be absolutely stuffed without Goosen, Morne and Lambie? Who would we use Grant or Jantjies? Neither fills me with confidence? In the same way, The Boks are without Schalk and Juan, and now possibly Willem Alberts. However this is one area that the Boks have a lot of depth. Marcell Coetzee, Jacques Potgieter and Siya Kolisi are all good replacements. If the Wallabies only lost Pocock, they really would struggle. He is currently holding the whole team together.

the usual cries for brussuow to be brought back, but why? he really is not on form this year. would like to see kolisi and potgieter get a run, both are very hard worker. Potgieter or vermulen will add that mongrel in the loosies that they are really missing right now. as a fetcher though, has anyone got an update on how francois luow is going? Worth a call up from europe? morne steyne has vastly improved his all around game of late, but still only earns his spot based on his kicking. Now he is kicking poorly, and was never the best kicked in SA, his continued starting spot must surely be in doubt.

I see a lot of positives and could argue your point you made earlier, but it seems pointless debating it with you. However if you want to know where South Africa's depth is you only need to look at the English team and see there are two there or the hundred or so South Africans running around the European and Japanese leagues or the three out of 5 extremely competitive in Super Rugby or positive winning ratio South Africa has despite the plundering of our playing stocks. I would say that is a fair amount of depth. The bench wasn't used correctly on Saturday, which unsettled the team as the English staged a very admiral come back. The English come back would have happened despite the substitutions, but it would have been handle better by the side had it not been unsettled. My prediction is a England South Africa final RWC 2015. Both teams are setting up dominate packs ( Please God can Werner Kruger never play for the Boks again) with two potentially deadly backlines. Even you must admit that the Boks are looking pretty good when they go wide. I still think England needs to find centers to replace Barrit and Tuilagi, as both offer little variation in their games. Barrit will tackle all day without doing much else well and Tuilagi will bash up the middle with out doing much else well. Ashton has very good overall skills, like most league converts, but lacks some of the specialised core skills of a union wing (Speed, positional play, solid defence). I think he could make an extremely dynamic center, and would offer the England backline a lot more than the for mentioned lot. It's been a great test series, hoping the final test is played with the same intensity.

Original one. Glad you're seeing so many positives. Good for you.

think your being very harsh on the wallabies, granted they are not in the best shape now but they will improve. aus was in bad shape, wales in good shape and wallabies till managed to pull off a series win.

Bokke will have to greatly improve their win/loss vs oz first, kiwi joe. And hey, they might do it this season. Looking forward to the 4N.

You would think so, but despite defending Meyer, ( he has a 100% record so far) I also find some of his selections strange. Wynard Olivier has struggled with test rugby, so far, but like Student said the Centre cupboard is bare. Also if Meyer's logic is that Juan De Jong is too small, (to handle Tuilagi) even though he is great defender, then why has he chosen Keegan Daniel, who he is also small when Meyer clearly has a game, that is based on big forwards pounding the advantage line? I personally would rather have Siya Kolisi and Juan De Jong, than Meyer and Daniel, but let's see how Meyer goes. The Boks overall have played with more width, than I expected, especially the second game, first 40. At the start of the series, I thought it would be a Morne Steyn kicking duel, and would have taken a one point win in the first two games, simply to clench the series.

Late in the day for me to join this old article, but just to say I think Meyer will be pleased to be able to bring in new players. For the sake of effectiveness he had to bring in a familiar team but was doubtless keen to get new young talent on board as quickly as possible. It could be very beneficial to South Africa to add just these two or three new players.

Is this the original Ben S or the imposter? Well with our lack of Rugby Depth its still 9 in a row.

small stop at Jbay on the way perhaps?

Here is the latest news from Sout Africa.. Gio Aplon trained at fullback in the shadow team with Jacques Potgieter working on the flank in the place of Alberts. With Frans Steyn unavailable for the game because he is getting married on Saturday, Meyer looks set to start with Wynand Olivier at inside centre.

Meyer must have heard you, Joe Pietersen has been called up to the camp! Starting to agree with you Royce, without Alberts, I think we are in trouble for the final test.

The Boks although fortunate on the first try were in rampaging form in that first half. Probably some of the best play I have seen out of them for awhile. Second half was interesting and there was a clear momentum shift as Englands belief grew in their abiility to take the Boks at the set piece. The Boks began to unravel a bit at that point, losing composure and you could almost sense an upset as it became the team in whites turn to dominate. Bit of luck and experience got the Boks home. Both teams will be better for the experience

And yet we keep on winning.

Same old, same old.

SA do have rugby depth, Meyer has just selected the wrong players for the bench. Last week there werent any injuries to expose his selections. England were blown away in the first half. A very soft try from a Flood, Pietersen fumbling a try-creating offload and poor kicking from Steyn turned it into a mere commanding lead for the Boks.

There are constant references to South Africa's vast rugby depth, so the bench shouldn't be an issue. It certainly wasn't last week. If England were playing NZ and had played like they did in the first half they would have been absolutely blown away by half-time.

Not according to the laws. The issue I have is that Walsh seemed to communicate to Rolland that it was fine. It wasn't as though they simply missed it, it's that there was a distinct lack of knowledge about what the procedure is. And it's not like that sort of incident doesn't happen in games. However, South Africa were far superior in that first half, it's just ironic that one, possibly two of their first half scores could be perceived as controversial

If that ball ended up behind the flankers foot without being hooked then England deserved to concede a try?