Super Rugby is done, and the tipping panel’s attention now becomes international – and with far bigger fish to fry with a Rugby World Cup rapidly approaching.
We’re going to do things a bit differently during The Rugby Championship, but we’re quite sure you’ll still come with us each week and help percolate the ideal two-day lead-in to Test rugby each weekend throughout the tournament.
Tipping won’t be a huge focus – and no, not because of our Super Rugby form – but we will keep track of how we’re going. And we’re all going to be parochial anyway, so there won’t really be any surprises each week.
The format for the panel is going to be similar, therefore, but different. We will still offer tips, and we will still throw up our Sure Thing each week, too.
And though we won’t be calling for your help to select The Crowd’s TRC tips each week, we’d still love to hear who you’re backing via the comments below.
But each week, we’ll tackle a single question or a theme coming into each weekend. And I’m really looking forward to getting into the discussion that we’ll kick off each Thursday. So this is what I’ve put to the guys this week:
QUESTION: What are you most wanting to see from your respective team in this weekend’s first Test of 2019?
Digger
The most interest for me with the All Blacks this weekend is across three areas.
The first one is how the locking combo works with two key players unavailable in Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett, and the second is the loose forward makeup and how they fare without Kieran Read at 8 (not to mention the lineout, a key Puma strength) and who gets first crack at blindside.
Finally, I’m really curious to see how young Josh Ioane, assuming he gets to play handles his opportunity to cement the third first-five spot looking forward to the World Cup.
The boiler room that is Buenos Aires against what I expect to be a cohesive and well drilled Puma side will provide some fantastic indicators and hope to see a few newbies will show they are up to the challenge.
TIPS: Fairly difficult to go past both New Zealand and South Africa this weekend but I do think the Wallabies can give this a fair shake as they seem too in World Cup years.
SURE THING: If a tie should occur then it will be just a tie, though I fully expect a drop goal attempt from Beauden Barrett will deflect of Brodie Retallick’s head and over and will be subsequently awarded 5 points, not 6. And this time, everyone will be laughing.
What will Sam Whitelock’s absence mean for the All Blacks? (AP Photo/David Rowland)
Nobes
The most important thing for the Pumas in this Rugby Championship is to continue growing in the game the Jaguares showed us this year.
What I would most like to see is a substantial improvement in the scrum that has been the Achilles heel of both the Super Rugby final played in Christchurch and most of the tournament.
It is true that there is an improvement compared to previous years but if at the franchise level it was a problem at Test level it is a bigger problem. The arrival of Juan Figallo and Ramiro Herrera from the northern hemisphere should solidify that formation.
The second and most difficult aspect to improve is that of the bench. At the Super Rugby level, the Jaguares usually tend to be superior but at the level of selections the quality of the players that are not in the initial XV is inferior due to the unequal depth of players of the other participating nations.
The Pumas. (AP Photo/SNPA, Ross Setford)
The arrival of Nicolas Sanchez also should give the team a plus in commanding Los Pumas as he is the most experienced player the Argentines have in that position.
If the Pumas manage to improve those aspects and keep the game shown by Jaguares during the Super Rugby, I think they are in a position to have a very good tournament which would be very important in view of the final goal that is the World Cup in Japan.
For the game against the All Blacks my biggest worry is the mental and physical fatigue the players may have after going all the way in Super Rugby and the very little time they had to prepare for this game.
In terms of the game itself I think that Los Pumas may have an advantage in the front eight due to most of the Crusaders are resting, but if you go name by name of the players in the backline it is a scarred thing for any defence. It looks that we may have some rain and it also should be a factor to consider.
Los Pumas have never won against the All Blacks and this could be their big opportunity. So, I will go with the home team.
With respect to the other game in South Africa I think the Wallabies will have a hard time against the Springboks unless the stolen wallet is recovered. Jokes apart I feel it is too soon for the Wallaby coach to assemble the team he wants, and he had very little time so far.
I expect their game to improve as the tournament develops. So, I will tip the home team here also.
TIPS: SOUTH AFRICA, ARGENTINA
SURE THING: TMOs all over the place.
Harry
Rassie Erasmus knows squad depth will win or lose the Rugby World Cup; no team will have the luxury of health, and everyone in the knockouts will have a few second or even third stringers playing those critical moments to stay alive.
So, he and we will be looking at the understudies at opensider, scrum half, centre, and fullback; and how well “backups” can combine at set piece and in defensive systems.
If Faf goes down, who is our 9? Can Marco Van Staden be a bigger Brussow? Is Andre a giant playmaker or an ox? And so on.
The Bok starters will already be in Wellington, for the most part. So, Rassie has his experiment poised.
TIPS: BOKS, ALL BLACKS
SURE THING: The breakdown will not be well-policed, at all. Free-for-all!
Geoff
What I want to see most from the All Blacks this week is the newer players making a statement right from the get-go.
World Cup spots aren’t yet guaranteed, and it is critical that the new contenders adjust quickly to the pace of Test rugby and show that they can contribute positively if they happen to be thrown in at short notice into a World Cup elimination match.
As far as the Wallabies are concerned, I’m looking for evidence that their defensive structure has been simplified and is executed with precision, by whoever takes the field at Ellis Park.
The Wallabies are going nowhere at the World Cup except straight home, if wingers continue to be caught in no man’s land in the defensive line, or are subject to ‘in game beep tests’ for the sake of trying to paper over other frailties.
Tatafu Polota-Nau of Australia (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
TIPS: There are a lot of unknowns around selection and the vastly different preparations, but is hard to go past New Zealand and South Africa.
SURE THING: The South Africa versus Australia match will be tied at full-time and again after extra time. SANZAAR will decree that the winner will be determined by the total amount of money in the players’ wallets, gifting the game to South Africa when Taniela Tupou isn’t able to contribute to his team’s cause.
Brett
What I wanted to see first and foremost this weekend from the Wallabies to see how they harnessed the strong late-season form of a number of players, and not just the Brumbies contingent.
This news from Johannesburg, coming through as I put the panel together last night was somewhat alarming on that front, therefore…
The official word came through shortly after, that Sio and Lealiifano were among six players coming home early for a variety of reasons ranging from injury to playing for clubs and wetting a new baby’s head.
Jack Maddocks, Rob Valetini, Marika Koroibete and Tom Robertson are the others to depart early, while Waratahs prop Harry Johnson-Holmes went the other way to provide extra prop coverage.
But my point stands; a lot of Australian players ended the Super Rugby season in solid form, and it will be intriguing to see how they’re used.
Where does Liam Wright fit into the grand scheme of things, given the very possibility that we are rapidly approaching – or may even have reached – Wallabies life without David Pocock? If Samu Kerevi is not the first player picked at the rest of the Wallabies backline built around him, who is?
The Wallabies selection announcement, slated for this evening Australian time, has just become all the more curious with last night’s squad-trimming news.
TIPS: Australia can absolutely win this, and there may be no better time to correct the record that shows no Wallabies team has won at Ellis Park since man walked on the moon. And New Zealand, probably.
SURE THING: Much teeth-gnashing and fist-shaking at the realisation of what Christian Lealiifano’s injury means for the Wallabies midfield.
| Digger | Nobes | Harry | Geoff | Brett | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA v AUS | RSA | RSA | RSA | RSA | AUS |
| ARG v NZL | NZL | ARG | NZL | NZL | NZL |
| Overall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| This week | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Who have you got, Roarers? Who gets your tip this weekend?
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Admittedly I have the benefit of seeing the team sheet prior to the match and reading the wisdom/blarney of the Experts but I reckon that as a lowly guru that I need a sporting chance. So here goes: Like The Man Near the Snowy River' aka Brett, I think the new-look Wallabies will do the Springbok Reserve team. The battles of the stitched-up front rows and collisions between the monster centre combos will be worth the price of admission. Both sides will take the 1st half to learn and remember the name of the bloke next to them as well as the game plan. My major worry with the WB is the scrum gets monstered giving up loads of possession/metres and penalty points to the SA kickers. The other major worry has one of my fav gripes with the WB for years, and that is all up-n-unders/box kicks MUST be followed up by an organised group of savage chasers to pressure the catcher into errors or lost ruck ball. The main two weaknesses in the SA team that I see are the halves Jantjies "twins" are both fairly "hit or miss" sort of players and the wingers and fb can be very suspect under the high ball. We just need a couple of front rowers to survive the Cheika training field. And just to show you that a bloke who tips the Auckland Blues 9 times in the SR2019 tipping contest is should seriously be measured for the backward white coat, I will go with Nobes and tip a fired-up Argentina side to do the mighty AB. Any team with F.Isa, A.Creevy, T.Lavanini, P.Matera and J.Montoya in the piggies cannot be taken lightly. Add that the conductor Nic Sanchez will be combining his tricks with the speed merchants and its a formidable team. Mind you the AB team is no slouch. The human MacTruck called Ngani Laumape will cause many bruises and likely breakouts and the Puma scrum will likely bend under the man with his own gravitational field aka Ofa Tu’ungafasi with lots of powerful beef in the 2nd and 3rd rows. It should be a great game. So am going for stunning glory or like Icarus will burn out in an inglorious crash. WB and Pumas to win! On a side note, am super pleased that Jordan Petaia is returning to rugby via the bench for his Brissie club Wests in Premier Rugby. Other notable returnees are Filipo Daugunu also Wests and Chris Feauai-Sautia for Souths against Wests. In Sydney Konrad Hunt (Gordon) is returning also. It would not surprise to see J.Petaia selected on the wing for the WB vs Samoa game. Finally I noticed a RA website article titled "Wallabies in line to receive bonus for making Rugby World Cup final". Mate if the WB get to the final, they deserve bl00dy sainthoods! :)
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Good comment Brett. I think most of Australia is fairly pleased, considering all the injuries and crazy M.Cheika selections over the years, but I am still at a loss to figure how the Gang of Three selectors could "kidnap" AAC from his Aged-Care home and leave the best "winger with a rugby brain" aka Henry Speight-Beer at home watching the match on tv. Was Henry carrying an injury also?
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Melburnian, ear ear, I 'ear you! :)
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Oops, and Sure Thing: Rucks in both game will be a total mess as referees obey the new instructions from WR (IRB) to turn that heavenly game called Rugby Union into a NRL-hybrid. Laws 15:12 and 15:15 will be totally ignored as rucks, with mountains of piggies laying all over them, look more like the orgy scenes in Caligula. And a Maybe Thing: Machooka's gaggle of experts will gobble their pride when the WB and Pumas win.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Only just realised the 2019 tipping contest doesn't finish until Dec 31st, so although I have the benefit of seeing the team sheet prior to the match and reading the wisdom/blarney of the Experts I reckon that as a lowly guru that I need a sporting chance. So here goes: Like The Man Near the Snowy River' aka Brett, I think the new-look Wallabies will do the Springbok Reserve team. The battles of the stitched-up front rows and collisions between the monster centre combos will be worth the price of admission. Both sides will take the 1st half to learn and remember the name of the bloke next to them as well as the game plan. My major worry with the WB is the scrum gets monstered giving up loads of possession/metres and penalty points to the SA kickers. The other major worry has one of my fav gripes with the WB for years, and that is all up-n-unders/box kicks MUST be followed up by an organised group of savage chasers to pressure the catcher into errors or lost ruck ball. The main two weaknesses in the SA team that I see are the halves Jantjies "twins" are both fairly "hit or miss" sort of players and the wingers and fb can be very suspect under the high ball. We just need a couple of front rowers to survive the Cheika training field. And just to show you that a bloke who tips the Auckland Blues 9 times in the SR2019 tipping contest is should seriously be measured for the backward white coat, I will go with Nobes and tip a fired-up Argentina side to do the mighty AB. Any team with F.Isa, A.Creevy, T.Lavanini, P.Matera and J.Montoya in the piggies cannot be taken lightly. Add that the conductor Nic Sanchez will be combining his tricks with the speed merchants and its a formidable team. Mind you the AB team is no slouch. The human MacTruck called Ngani Laumape will cause many bruises and likely breakouts and the Puma scrum will likely bend under the man with his own gravitational field aka Ofa Tu’ungafasi with lots of powerful beef in the 2nd and 3rd rows. It should be a great game. So am going for stunning glory or like Icarus will burn out in an inglorious crash. WB and Pumas to win! On a side note, am super pleased that Jordan Petaia is returning to rugby via the bench for his Brissie club Wests in Premier Rugby. Other notable returnees are Filipo Daugunu also Wests and Chris Feauai-Sautia for Souths against Wests. In Sydney Konrad Hunt (Gordon) is returning also. It would not surprise to see J.Petaia selected on the wing for the WB vs Samoa game. Finally I noticed a RA website article titled "Wallabies in line to receive bonus for making Rugby World Cup final". Mate if the WB get to the final, they deserve bl00dy sainthoods, perhaps ordained by Minister Folau. :)
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Can't give a like for that comment James, ;-) but I expect Bernard will go well today. Plenty of pressure on for him to do so. On related matters, just spotted Fiji v Maori on FoxSports6 from 5pm (EST). Cheers KP
Nobrain
Roar Guru
I do not think so. In the SH we will have real practice before e the RWC
Tutema
Roar Rookie
Could it be to favor the NH teams at the RWC?
Nobrain
Roar Guru
There is a video of the ABs practicing the new laws before they were announced . Ha !!! I guess they had inside info about the change when it was cooking.
Tutema
Roar Rookie
Has anyone read about the changes in the scrum rules? What's your opinion? I find it curious that the entire panel of experts called to review the rules (a week before the start of the RCh) was composed by NH players.
Jacko
Guest
I think we are going to see a few YCs....As usual all I want to see is it being done consistantly........
charly_777
Guest
Poor the Blues! Hahaha why Barrett by convention was for there? Hahaah must hacel the championship by the wooden spoon with the reds and sunvolwes!
charly_777
Guest
For the good of the game and for England + France to transpire Argentina to win!
charly_777
Guest
I agree with Nobes, few times Argentina had the most favorable circumstances to beat the AB's! We'll see what happens! Let's go Argentina!
charly_777
Guest
I suffer when any nº 10 Argentine kicks and leaves it in playable!
charly_777
Guest
It's the last opportunity to "show" some Kiwis before the RWC, and that's a double-edged sword: excited and imprecise? '
charly_777
Guest
I agree with Nubes, few times Argentina had the most favorable circunstancies to beat the AB's! We'll see what happens! Let's go Argentina!
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Same players, same result. Wales won. Different score. A went to Cardiff earlier that year and managed to get on the pitch in Arms Park. I was reminiscing of the very recent Pumas loss there by a single point. It was magic. I was just dreaming!
Origin
Roar Rookie
In my case, Wales vs England in Jan 1981 at Arms Park, also standing behind the posts with Welsh fans, lots of beer and other dubious stuff. Gareth Davies and JPR Williams at their best, 21 - 19. Unforgettable.
taylorman
Roar Guru
In all honesty JRVJ, I think you are drawing too many comparisons with Super rugby, which this ain’t. One club side with a couple of star players added in doesn’t mean they will rise to test level in two weeks as a rule. I think the jags players that aren’t accustomed test players will find it toughest most, and that the tool they have all been through is going to prevent them from going to another level, a must for this match. The biggest thing going for them, even more so than home advantage for me is the traditional slow AB start in the first half of the first match of the season, combined with so many newbies, particularly on the bench. In saying that, great to see Sanchez back, was stunning vs NZ last year and an exciting player to watch.