Finally time for a game where when you fall down its because you are properly hurt and when you are going to score a try and someone fouls you the try is still given, yesss boys and girls, its time for the toughest rugby competition in the world to start for 2010.
Shoo i am excited for tomorrow and also nervous all at once...in the past i used to be edgy about the Bok v AB tests, but in the back of my mind i knew there was a 75% chance that we (ABs) would win, not so much any more man, now its 50:50. And praises to PdV and his troops! I know many of you are still on the bandwagon of he's not a great coach he has a great team, but my dear friends we have all seen that great players dont necessarily win games. he has won 4 out of the last 6 games against the ABs, he has won in Dunedin and in Hamilton, 2 places the Boks have struggled to win in the past. Argentina and France, both had great players in their football teams, but they had a spiritual leader and a personality bankrupt Maradonna and Domanech (spelling) leading them, they fell apart...
I look at the Boks at the moment and i see a team that is beatable yes, but with great difficulty. They have confidence aplenty and a pack of forwards that is one of the best if not the best in the world at the moment...as a unit. In the past if you had to do a man for man comparision between the ABs and the Boks, it would be 80% ABs, but now, if i can get 4 ABs who are head and shoulders above their counterparts, it would be impressive (the 4 being Mills, DC, Richie...ok maybe 3).
I look at the Boks backline for starters, many people mock Ricky, but id much rather play against Fourie dP than Ricky, because Ricky is troublesome, he is a terrier, he just spoils your ball, Fourie is great at what he does, but he is structured, he isnt in your face. Jimmy Cowan isnt the best no 9 around and if you get in his face he loses his head and his game gets shot and then the rest of the backline is poked. Ricky does that Fourie doesnt, Fourie is a nice guy, Ricky not so much. Steyn is very underrated. He WAS just a kicking flyhalf, but he has shown in the S14 and the june tests that he can adapt his game, i guess its because everyone expects him to always kick so now he has space to try other things. And as well, when his pack is giving him go forward ball most people can look good. Thats the difference between him and DC i guess. In the matches where the Bulls forwards were shut down or bullied, i think the Highlanders and Blues games if i am not mistaken. Steyn was no where to be seen. Even his kicking game went awry.
The centre pairing of Meisiekind and Jacques, wouldnt have been my first choice, but its not a bad one at all. in that you have South Africas best inside centre of the S14 competition pairing with one of the best outside centres in the world, some will say he is the best and i guess thats your choice. I personally would have preferred Jean and Jacques because they were building something lovely but Jean on the wing isnt the worst thing that could have happened, he is a great defender and intercepter and cool calm and collected, because Zain will need all the help he can get. He hasnt been the player he was a year or so ago man, he hasnt really shone on the international stage, or S14 this year but we will see. Bryan Habanna has become a try-hard in my opinion. He always looks for intercepts and when he doesnt get it he just looks ordinary and sulks. I have always said the guy is fast and thats all. i havent seen him create tries other than intercept and run. I cant put him in the league of Drew Mitchell, Shane Williams, Sivivatu, Cory Jane, Gear, or even Joe. He is like Lachlan Turner, just fast!! He shoots the line so often and if a team can read his actions they just lob him, boom overlap, try.
The forwards, its good John is back at hooker, because the front row looks stronger. i think when he tried loosehead, he did a better job than at the other side. the locks well we know what they bring, hope Bakkies gives us some more yellow cards the idiot. Loose trio, yoh i shake my head!! as a unit the Boks loosies are way ahead of the ABs this year. Big and fast. Francois Louw deserves his day in the sun, cos the man worked hard for it.
The ABs are under the pump a little. They looked good in their first 2 games, yes against Ireland they played against only 14 players and 13 for 10 minutes, but Ireland were down to those numbers because of pressure the ABs put on them. In the 2nd test against Wales however, they didnt look so hot, but thats a good game though, because it was tight and they managed to grind out a win. i liked the look of the youngsters that were brought into the mix, also liked the look of some of the Maori players, like Luke, Hosea and Liam. the biggest concern for me at the moment in the ABs is what happens if DC comes a cropper? Who takes over? Do we not have a better no 9 than Cowan? Ma'a is big and fast and powerful but is he the best 12 around? Mills is mr dependable, but can you say Izzy Dagg? Our forwards are good, but if Brad Thorn gets injured which brut is there to take his place? Keven's throwing is suspect, give Aled a chance, oh wait his is also pretty toilet...ai ya yaaai.
Anyway, i am prepared for another record being broken this weekend, i hope not though, but i also realised after the support of the Black Stars, even though i like the ABs, a loss is bearable...its just the after gloating, thats what annoys me most.
We will speak about the Aussies another time....
I am looking forward to some rugga this weekend, hopefully not aerial ping pong because i will vomit
Happy viewing
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