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Preview: Ireland v Springboks
Thursday, November 26
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Champions collide as the Springboks face Ireland in the final Test of the season at Croke Park on Saturday.
The mouth-watering clash between World and Tri Nations champions South Africa and Six Nations Grand Slam champions Ireland has been billed as everything from a grudge match to a final.
Tension between the champion sides have been building since 2004 when then-Springbok coach Jake White was quoted as saying that only two Ireland players were good enough to make the Bok team.
Then came the infamous Ronan O’Gara quick tap try while the Springboks were huddling up for a team talk as agreed with referee Paul Honiss. Ireland went on to clinch a controversial victory that ended the Springboks’ hopes of securing a Grand Slam.
Just when it seemed as if the animosity had subsided things took a turn for the worst when Schalk Burger, in a moment of madness, eye gouged Luke Fitzgerald in the second Test of the British & Irish Lions series earlier this year.
The Lions allegedly refused to accept the Boks’ traditional invitation to share post-match drinks following the match, which the Springboks won to clinch the series. Ireland captain Bryan O’Driscoll then condemned Bok coach Peter de Viliers before he returned to Ireland through injury.
All this makes for a great storyline, but this is rugby, not ‘sports entertainment.’ Frankly, a match of such magnitude doesn’t need to be hyped by over exaggerated stories. The sheer talent in the two teams and quality of play that promises to be on offer on Saturday will sell out any stadium in the world by itself.
It’s a clash of champions. Two rugby-loving nations. Each willing to give life and limb to emerge victorious. What has been the focus of Springbok Tests as of late, the scrums, will take a back seat this week and certainly on Saturday, as Ireland themselves do not boast a dominant front row.
Instead, the battle of the boot and scrap on the deck has been emphasised. Ireland coach Declan Kidney sprung a surprise on Tuesday when he named 24-year-old Jonathan Sexton at flyhalf ahead of veteran Ronan O’Gara.
Sexton starred in his Test debut against Fiji last weekend, slotting all seven of his kicks at goal and gaining good ground with ball in hand. Springbok halfback pairing Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn admitted they were surprised by Sexton’s inclusion as they were convinced they would come up against old foe O’Gara.
"We do not know much about him," Du Preez said.
"I do know that he apparently played very well in his debut Test against Fiji last weekend, but we only received the video of that Test on Tuesday and have not yet had the chance to have a look at it. I really thought that Ronan O'Gara would be picked.”
Steyn said: "I thought that I was going to play against O'Gara. However, this does not really matter, does it? It is how much you can focus on your own game which is important."
Steyn has been one of the finds of the season, kicking the Bulls to Super 14 and Currie Cup glory and the Springboks to British & Irish Lions and Tri-Nations triumph. However, the 25-year-old – recently named SA Players’ Player of the Year – has been struggling on his first European tour with subpar performances against France and Italy.
The icy, howling Irish winds will make for very difficult goal kicking and tactical kicking conditions so Saturday will be a major test for both young pivots. Another youngster who’s made waves on the international scene this year, Heinrich Brussow, will lead the Boks’ charge at the breakdown. The Free State Cheetahs fetcher upstaged both Richie McCaw and George Smith in the Tri-Nations and has been one of the stars of the Boks’ disappointing end-of-year tour.
The countries have clashed 18 times with South Africa winning 14, Ireland 3 and an 8-8 draw in 1970. However, Ireland have had the Boks number in recent years and will be aiming for a hat-trick of victories over the Boks on home soil when they welcome them to Croke Park for the first time on Saturday. The Irish claimed a record 32-15 victory at Lansdowne Road in their last meeting in 2006 and secured a controversial 17-12 win at the same venue in 2004.
Key Battle: Brian O’Driscoll vs. Fourie du Preez. Having touched on both the breakdown and boot battles, the most intriguing battle will be between the teams’ MVPs. Both are unrivalled in their respective positions, the generals of their teams and the two front-runners for the 2009 IRB Player of the Year award. Whoever shines brightest on Saturday is likely to win the coveted title.
Prediction: This is a tough one to call. Ireland have a side full of class players and are at their best at home. Having said that, they only managed a draw against the Wallabies a fortnight ago. What’s more, the Boks have selected their strongest line-up of the tour, which should see them end their unprecedented year on a high. Springboks by 4.
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28 Nov 09 |
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Who will be SA's top side in the 2010 S14?
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boks by 10!
1. Beast
2. J. Smit
3. BJ Botha
4. B. Botha
5. V. Matfield
6. H. Brussow
7. S. Burger
8. J. Heaslip
9. F. Du Preez
10. M. Steyn
11. B.Haba
12. W.Olivier
13. B. O'Driscoll
14. T. Bowe
15. R.Kearney
4, they're improving!
oh, obviously nice to welcome back some of the old firm... pdv must be one of the luckier coaches when it comes to injuries as they generally improve his starting xv!
Another great match up would be between Jacque Fourie and BOD. The silky running of BOD and the power and guile of Fourie. Will they allow each other enough space to attack.
The Irish wings don't rival ours and they are pretty week in the back three as well as the front row, not to mention the lock pairing.
Even at 9 we are better.
You also only need to look at the bench.
The Irish are going to learn a hard lesson.
Cian Healy 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Beast Takes this!!!
Jerry Flannery 2 John Smit
John Takes this, may be a bit fat now but still a great carrier of the ball.
John Hayes 3 BJ Botha
Hayes may have a bit of size but BJ is probably on of the best tight heads around.
Donncha O'Callaghan 4 Bakkies Botha
Who else but Bakkies
Paul O'Connell 5 Victor Matfield
During the lions series Victor came out on top every time.
Stephen Ferris 6 Heinrich Brussow
Ferris has got some speed but when it is a scrap on the ground.
I would give it to Brussow
David Wallace 7 Schalk Burger
Schalk probably had his best game against the bulls in the Semi final and is due to put a big game in this year.
Jamie Heaslip 8 Danie Rossouw
Danie has got the size, speed and strength.
Tomas O'Leary 9 Fourie du Preez
Who Else but Fourie
Jonathan Sexton 10 Morne Steyn
Morne is due a good game up north.
Keith Earls 11 Bryan Habana
No contest, Habana has got the pace and high work rate.
Paddy Wallace 12 Wynand Olivier
Olivier has been itching to get his chance.
Brian O'Driscoll 13 Jaque Fourie
Pretty even, have to give this to BOD as he is playing in front of his home, different player when playing in Ireland.
Tommy Bowe 14 JP Pietersen
JP has been a bit lazy but still class.
Robert Kearney 15 Zane Kirchner
Zane is still finding his feet but sure to put solid performance in.
Sean Cronin 16 Bismarck du Plessis
Bismark takes this hands down
Tony Buckley 17 CJ van der Linde
CJ will eat him alive.
Leo Cullen 18 Andries Bekker
Leo who, Bekker easily
Sean O'Brien 19 Jean Deysel
The Big Deysel Engine
Peter Stringer 20 Dewald Potgieter
Ronan O'Gara 21 Ruan Pienaar
Ronan O is actually class with the boot
Gordon D'Arcy 22 Jean de Villiers
D'Arcy haven't really been on form for the past 3 years now. Jean Easily.
!!!!! No contest.
Who do you think is better than their opposite number in the Irish team? You seem to be giving Ireland way too much respect.
Also rugby is a team game, Fourie plays in a better team, that is why he'll achieve more.
Seriously though...i think its a tough choice between the two cause Jaque Fourie when he plays at his best is just as impressive as BOD...but i guess BOD has a massive amount of experience and leadership.
But we shall see this weekend what happens
Thats like saying Paul O'Connell is simply one of the best locks in the world, he had reinvented the locks role to include a much more physical game, a crucial part that is missing in Bakkies Bothas game. See how ridiculous that sounds...?
You know if they managed to beat Australia and the B+I Lions managed to beat us in the series then id be showing them a lot more respect...but these are the Springboks we are talking about and the only teams i pay respect to are the teams that beat us. So lets see, perhaps on Saturday evening ill be paying respect to the Irish...until then...
It would be similar to saying that Wilkinson is an excellent flyhalf, one of the best ever, but he is missing an attacking element that makes Carter the better of the two. Doesn't sound that ridiculous to me....
BOD is great in creating a gap but he can lose his cool if his team doesn't perform and actually be an extremely negative player.
The only reason why I chose him is because he is different player when playing at home.
I watched BOD play in SA and he has never done well, the only reason why he had some success on the Lions tour was because he was playing against Jacobs, with Jamie Roberts on his inside which could be the next JdVilliers.
But I know enough about Irish rugby since I have spend a year in Dublin.
I do think it would be good contest, but I think the Boks will have a point to prove and this is the best team of the Tour or even the Year.
Just hope the guys still has some gas in the tank.
So to end this annoying arguement...i will only show Ireland any respect if they manage to beat us this weekend. It was the Irish players that had the most to say about the Boks while they were here on the B+I tour and frankly they acted like a bunch of pricks when the Boks were actually being nice to them. BOD is a tosser and so is Paul O'Connel. They are actually a team that i really dislike at the moment. So i have NO respect for them.
And...
GO BOKKE!!!
Predict the boks to win by at least 10.
As for natal taranaki boy - BOD is and will not be the best no13 of all time because Danie Gerber is sitting in that chair and will be for a long time.
To the Irish - screw you!
Remember one thing Jauk, when the rest of the world wouldnt play the Boks durning the 80's, Ireland amid a lot of tension came out and played you guys even though the Irish public were dead against it. John Robbie for example was told that if he went on the tour, his job in Guiness brewery wouldnt be there when he got home. I think for that alone, Jauk you and some of the Bok supporters should show a bit of respect.
Everyone here has already decided that we've won the match. This is a game where we should go in as even if not the under dog
I think the SA supporters are getting the wrong end of the stick here tho. It seems the media are HYPING things up beyond the actual truth. There calling this a final between the Tri nations and the Six nations. Which has kinda (edited)ed people off.
Really the fact that we will most likly have the best game of rugby in the whole tour this weekend has been totally lost. Regardless of the winners im sure it will be a cracking rugby match and as a RUGBY fan as well as an irish man. im very much looking forward to that.
AND BY THE WAY!!! A quote below from Brian O'Driscoll which clearly shows the level of respect Ireland have for the Bokkes.
"
But O'Driscoll predicts South Africa will be determined to finish an exhausting campaign on a triumphant note.
'No, South Africa are not a team in decline,' said the Lions and Leinster centre.
'That's just sections of the media trying to wind the South Africans up a little bit, but it's not doing us any favours!
'They're the reigning world champions, have beaten the Lions and won the Tri-Nations.
'They lost to France - boo hoo! They won't be crying about it, they'll be looking to put it right against us in the last game of what's been a great season for them.
'If we get the upper hand we'll say we've beaten a very strong South African team.'
And i say this. Ireland have always without fail been one of the most respectful teams in world rugby! Can SA say the same?
Was just listening to an interview with Joel Stransky(Legend)
His prediction....... Ireland to win.......
Joel Stransky::
"My Heart say Green & Gold But my head says Ireland"
Very interesting. Very nice guy is Stanskey.
Want the boks to win soooooooo much coz I can't stand the Irish but got to say Ireland by 8 as were exhausted and in terrible conditions
I am sorry but Stransky is a w@nker. I will show him a bit of respect for the whole world cup thing but ever since then he has done nothing but slate SA rugby. The dame guy predicts us to loss nearly every game we play. When would you ever hear an Ozzy or NZ commentator ever say something like that? I don’t care if it sounds biases but if you’re a true Bok supporter you always predicted them to win.
Every time he commentates on a game he just lays in to the Boks even when they winning. So his prediction can go and suck it as far as I am concerned.
Cause some havoc Bokke!!!!!!
boks by 11
I would've opted for a 12. Olivier, 13. Jacque Fourie 14. JDV combo. Makes the backline flexible and JP Pietersen is struggling. Remember how awesome JDV was on wing at the start of his career?
Score : Bokke 22 - Ireland - 15
It's gona be a cracker of a game!!!
This pains me greatly to say BUT::
Actually ireland have never beaten New Zealand not in over 100 years of games. Just in case ur thinking WTF i say it again. Ireland have never ever in there history of rugby beaten New Zealand. Crazy statistic i know but hey. Rugby for a long long time was a minority sport in ireland and its really only in the last 10 years of professionalism that ireland has begun to climb the ladder. Given that fact i think there doing pretty well. they match the french and there now putting it up to the NH sids on a more regular basis.
Given irelands rugby history i really dont understand why there are so many people who begrudge them. Dont you think its great that other non traditional rugby nations are coming up to the highest levels. Argentine is another great example.
Some people are just to fond of the status quo.... preferring that the SH teams remain dominant. really folks is that realistic?
But I agree also with DAGATH-teams that dont develope and improve
will be left behind and the Irish have improved a lot in last few years and are worthy opponents.
jauk and co., your parents really should really put a cap on your broadband usage at home.
and cramer, for god's sakes man, have a look again at your selection bias! boks certainly have a stronger man-for-man side, but give respect where respect is due. at least natal-taranaki-boy is adding some reason to the debate...
You really should really should really should really check your grammar before you call people stupid again...