Roar Guru
Joined June 2009
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[caption id="attachment_20806" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="British Lions\' Mike Phillips, right, clears the ball as South Africa\'s Bakkies Botha, left, looks on during their international rugby…
[caption id="attachment_2299" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Barbarians\' Matt Giteau scores the first try against South Africa - AP Photo/Tom Hevezi"][/caption] I see that the latest Barbarian…
As long as its merit based then I have no issue – thats just sport
'That will happen every game': New skills Hoops must perfect to earn place in Paris, as coach rejects Eddie role model sledge
We still banging this drum? Red card, yellow card, knock on, whatever – there is literally zero upside to arguing about what it is now history. The engravers are done and its nearly 2024 – time to take a breath and move on.
Rugby News: World Rugby warns Kiwis' over 'robbery' whine, Barnes hits back at ABs, damning report into 'toxic' culture
Love your work mate
Anything but a snorefest: Revisiting one of the most fascinating RWC finals ever
and all that goes in are grenades
Why World Rugby is calling the fans' bluff with its bunker mentality
Have been thinking about our composition. We are going to have a few holes to fill in the starters, bench and box.
Starters
Hooker – Marx out for the season. Bongi not sure but will need cover regardless. Time for Grobbelaar or maybe Akker back into the fold… Im actually curious if van Staden would consider a more permanent switch. Would be a very dynamic Marx like option
Props – need to start filling out the next gen a bit. Specifically TH – bring Asenathi into the fold for Nykane and Louw for Koch. Kitsie looked done in the RWC, more rotation with Ox and perhaps Sithole but Mchunu probably longer team prospect
Locks – We are ok for now, especially if Lood comes good. Nortje in for Mostert
Backrow – Really only number 8 but we are very well covered with Roos, Louw and a plethora of others
Scrumhalf – Reinach at 35 next year is really the only needs replacing but we are very well covered… would like to see Sanele Nohamba come in
Flyhalf – Mannie, Pollard and …. Sacha?
Inside centre – DDA, Esterhuizen
Outside – fine for now with Am, Kriel and Moodie or van Wyk
Wings – Incumbents bar Mapimpi who is 34 next year
Fullback – Willemse and Gelant
Coaches
Head – Rassie most probably
Defence?
Attack?
Eight crucial lessons Wallabies must learn from the RWC quarter-finalists
Bru – chillax. We won – lets enjoy it and consider it a compliment that other fans/teams feel the need to vent… I kind of felt the same way when the ABs were winning with their cynical ways 🙂
Legacies can't be won: History won't look back kindly on Rassie's Springboks
Which is why – even as a Bok supporter I acknowledge the 2015 AB team as the greatest ever -the Boks put simply are just better tournament animals and in between them should be better. We want them to be .. but those pesky ABs used to keep getting in the way of our dreams lol
The days however of 80%+ win ratios are thankfully gone – whereas before the ABs alone sat on the summit – nowadays its pretty crowded with Boks, France and especially Ireland giving as much as they get. In fact – over the last 4 year cycle the ABs actually have a negative win ratio against all three…so wouldn’t be banking on that final just yet .. you might actually have to grind for it… as you say – it will be fascinating and I mean that respectfully. We need proper competition across the board
Legacies can't be won: History won't look back kindly on Rassie's Springboks
it was a soulless series that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.. even as a Bok fan I hesitate to throw that one out there.
Shame it was never postponed by a year
Legacies can't be won: History won't look back kindly on Rassie's Springboks
symptom of society.. we have very very short memories nowadays.. cant wait for the GOAT test when Ireland tour SA next year,, followed by another GOAT test between England and ABs etc etc We are drenched in hyperbole nowadays
Which for me also shows that while there are issues in the sport – there is an enormous amount of good at a regular basis
Legacies can't be won: History won't look back kindly on Rassie's Springboks
All remembered legacies are achieved through winning. History and time have no sympathy for losers, no matter how courageous.
In terms of appeal – its entirely subjective and you cherry pick to suit your stereotypical trope. France v SA was incredible and so was SA v Ireland.. I also particularly enjoyed SA v the Wallabies in Pretoria this year.
The notion of running rugby being the only rugby is also folly – a garden path that the 2011-15 ABs have lead us down while at the same time they had the most weaponized kicking game of all sides.
We need the contest of styles, we had worlds best defense (SA) vs worlds best phase attack (IRE) vs worlds best transition attack (NZ vs France who are probably the 2nd best to all the other three. The way each side unpicked the others systems across the different contests was magical. Rock Paper Scissors at breathtaking speed. If all play was one style – then defense is winning which is the opposite of the intended result.
Its for the same reason we need be careful with devaluing the setpiece contest. As soon as its gone then the pack is 8 x Savea/Kwaggas on the pitch obliterating attacks. I actually think we need to have more setpiece/scrums to ensure we have more big men on the pitch, getting tired pushing against each other and opening up the pitch. Its quickly forgotten that we used to have in excess of 40+ scrums a game – no wonder there was so much room to score tries… maybe we need to bring back the old leather balls! alot easier to drop those lol
The resting/delaying thing – I get and should be limited but all teams do it. NZ were having some lovely conferences at Twickenham at every setpiece even before they lost a man. Perhaps the setups should be shot-clocked, get in line/packed and ready by 1min or risk a short arm.
Anyways, will this team be considered the greatest – for me – no. The 2015 ABs were singularly dominant tournament to tournament. But it is amusing to me that SA gets panned for 1 point wins while everyone forgets that 7-8 in Auckland. So 19-23 with a BIL series and playing 5 of the top 6 is not the greatest side for me. But they are definitely giving the 2015 team some company as the only sides to go back to back but shaded through consistent dominance.
In the end though, people judge, history records and the record shows 4 time winner. The legacy is definitely assured.
Legacies can't be won: History won't look back kindly on Rassie's Springboks
Thats really not a lot of time till what will probably be one of the strongest Lions squad ever – Ireland being steered by Finn Russell and bolstered in a few places up front…
The most important thing for them will be to strip back the game plan and just start winning again. The good/bad news is that the incoming tour is Wales – good because they are in a bit of a transition themselves, bad because you lose to them and the way back gets longer. After that its going to be the annual war of attrition in the RC where targeting the home games has to be the imperative.
Eight crucial lessons Wallabies must learn from the RWC quarter-finalists
I’m a Stormers fan – don’t think there is any hype. The others for me are all number 5 locks – Nortje stands out as having a massive motor as well as decent pair of hands. Just not seeing the next Eben who manhandles people. Like what Ruan Venter brings and he can play lock but feel blind side would be better with him and Louw competing there.
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
Not concerned on props and flanks or even hooker – although there is some work to be done there. Worry for me is where have all the 2m+ locks gone? There are currently very few standout locks coming through the system at the moment
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
Ruan is definitely one for the future / like the play of Francke Rapid with great hands
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
Would have personally gone Max Jorgo
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
I’m a Bok fan – it was between Eben and Savea and I have zero issues with Savea getting it. He is simply immense
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
Agree – turned a weakness into a strength.. looking forward to the battle at the next RC. I think though we both have a bigger engine room issue on the next gen of locks. At this moment I’m not seeing the future Eben or Brodie anywhere
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
With Cotter and dare I say Schmidt in and Razor out… is next season theirs?
The joy of Rugby World Cup celebrations only ruined by Eddie Jones’ final act
Having been here for 14 of those 15 and seen the quality and investment you have put into your work – you deserve it mate
The joy of Rugby World Cup celebrations only ruined by Eddie Jones’ final act
I would love to see a barbarians back row of PSDT, Kwagga and Savea.. 1000 miles an hour of pure relentlessness
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
Simple answer no – he has had a serious injury plagued 4 years and has spent the last 12 months building back to the form he ended at in 2020 – just in time!
RWC Team of the tournament: Six Boks, three All Blacks and an Aussie manages to knock out Will Jordan
Great column Brett but what off season?! URC and Champions cup to ease the come down from the RWC!
The joy of Rugby World Cup celebrations only ruined by Eddie Jones’ final act
There will be a few others but looking in the URC well and we are pretty well stocked for the next cycle … I’m more wondering who the next coach is I’ll be.. Dobson would be my pick but I am biased
WORLD VIEW: 'Disgrace'- strange slap for Boks coaches after 'beautifully ugly' 'shambles' of a World Cup final
The hamster must go – been a complete bin fire on his watch
'I'm not a quitter': Under-siege RA chair won't follow Jones, blames 'broken system' for chaos
Some dream team options there … O’Gara definitely has some cred but I think next stop for him post La Rochelle is Ireland… surprised you didnt mention Andy Friend who has done some pretty good things with Connacht despite them being the poorest of cousins in the provinces.
The hard part for the coach is literally the short runway of 13 tests to turn the Wallabies from the current car crash into a Lions bulldozer. There will barely be any time to bed anything fancy in – just tighten the basics
The only way is up, baby - What the next Wallabies coaching setup should look like