November Internationals 2014

[suisse]

Long walks on the beach with Conor George.

Watching Begin Again, in fact.

Right now, the Indo is wall to wall James McClean. The paper is suffering since Farrelly took his enlarged selfie, mutton chops and pulling shirt off to the Mail.

[Schumi]

I picked Ireland in the superbru prediction game thing. I went for Ireland by 3. I had a look at the results today. Apparently only 2% of the people who played that game picked Ireland. "Predictability! Insane upset" it reads. Great win, great performance and all that. But am I the only one shocked that the 6 Nations champions were so heavily undervalued going into a home game, despite the injuries? Even if Fiji had beaten France, I wouldn't call it an "insane upset" - Georgia beating us in the 2007 RWC would be an insane upset. Ireland beating SA? Insane?

It's a South African site originally so South Africa probably get more picks than most teams.

[simonokeeffe]

Interesting remarks from Feek that he felt Ireland scrummaged too legally against Boks, had over focused on not conceeding penalties and free kicks

[Twist]

They were distracted by the last match

Springboks strive to strike consistency
Tuesday 11 November 2014 19:42
Simon Burke
Springboks are on a four-match European Tour

The Springboks are paying the price for pouring all their energy and focus into beating New Zealand. The team admits that they are also struggling to get to grips with the conditions and style of play in the northern hemisphere.

The Boks are preparing for England at Twickenham in West London on Saturday - the second stop on their four-match European Tour.

In Dublin against Ireland, the Boks showed all the signs of a side that had already accomplished all they needed to this year.

Coming off the back of a momentous win over the All Blacks, South Africa was clearly unprepared for a spirited Irish side.
They do admit this.

Springbok eighthman Duane Vermeulen says, "I think after beating New Zealand, you kind of feel like this is where we are supposed to be. But, you've got to pitch up every week. You can’t beat the World No 1 and then think you are invincible."

Much like Ireland, England will give the Boks another stern test.

Dangerous from all parts of the pitch, it’s the English forwards, in particular, that are giving the Bok pack sleepless nights.

Vermeulen says, "Our championship and Super Rugby is a hell of a lot different to what the rugby is up here. Up here, it’s a more forward orientated game. We actually love playing with our forwards. It’s just a lot different."

It will be necessary to master that difference, if this tour, which is essentially a recce before the World Cup, is to be deemed a worthwhile exercise.

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/e1503f8046 ... y-20141111

[TerenureJim]

They were distracted by the last match

Springboks strive to strike consistency
Tuesday 11 November 2014 19:42
Simon Burke
Springboks are on a four-match European Tour

The Springboks are paying the price for pouring all their energy and focus into beating New Zealand. The team admits that they are also struggling to get to grips with the conditions and style of play in the northern hemisphere.

The Boks are preparing for England at Twickenham in West London on Saturday - the second stop on their four-match European Tour.

In Dublin against Ireland, the Boks showed all the signs of a side that had already accomplished all they needed to this year.

Coming off the back of a momentous win over the All Blacks, South Africa was clearly unprepared for a spirited Irish side.
They do admit this.

Springbok eighthman Duane Vermeulen says, "I think after beating New Zealand, you kind of feel like this is where we are supposed to be. But, you've got to pitch up every week. You can’t beat the World No 1 and then think you are invincible."

Much like Ireland, England will give the Boks another stern test.

Dangerous from all parts of the pitch, it’s the English forwards, in particular, that are giving the Bok pack sleepless nights.

Vermeulen says, "Our championship and Super Rugby is a hell of a lot different to what the rugby is up here. Up here, it’s a more forward orientated game. We actually love playing with our forwards. It’s just a lot different."

It will be necessary to master that difference, if this tour, which is essentially a recce before the World Cup, is to be deemed a worthwhile exercise.

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/e1503f8046 ... y-20141111

I don't think our "spirit" or the conditions had any effect on the outcome of the game, it was down to tactics pure and simple.

[simonokeeffe]

of that team but especially forwards Beast, Duplesis's, Matfield, Botha, Burger, DeVilliers, Habana, Strauss, Pietersen ie all the senior players all have played plenty of times in Northern hemisphere or even play/played for clubs up here

[dropkick]

I picked Ireland in the superbru prediction game thing. I went for Ireland by 3. I had a look at the results today. Apparently only 2% of the people who played that game picked Ireland. "Predictability! Insane upset" it reads. Great win, great performance and all that. But am I the only one shocked that the 6 Nations champions were so heavily undervalued going into a home game, despite the injuries? Even if Fiji had beaten France, I wouldn't call it an "insane upset" - Georgia beating us in the 2007 RWC would be an insane upset. Ireland beating SA? Insane?

It's a South African site originally so South Africa probably get more picks than most teams.

An insane upset?! I'm surprised by that. The bookies handicap was only giving Ireland 6pts. Funny that the bookmakers were far more accurate than the former players in the Irish media! They got it completely wrong apart from one or two like Trevor Hogan.


It also highlights peoples attention span. I watched the rugby championship and nearly every game South Africa was involved in was tight but their last game against the AB's was mentioned 99% of the time in the build up to the match. For me the ABs are still out on their own as number 1 side in the world but SA do deserve to be number 2 ahead of a chasing pack that includes Ireland.


All the talk now is about Schmidt and he deserves great credit but people are underrating the quality of the Irish players. Go through both teams and Ireland are stronger in some positions while many others are debatable. SA were also missing one or two players so it wasn't their strongest side.

[fourthirtythree]

All good points bar the last. All teams are missing a few players at any time. The perception we have of ourselves is that we can afford it less than others. I'm not sure that's the case but we would surely have played differently had Schmidt had ball carriers of the power of Healy and O'Brien to play with and an all rounder like Best available also. And had Ross been properly match fit. Etc. etc.

I do think that the deciders for this match, if you will pick out anything, were that we simply have the best coach and half back pairing going in international rugby right now.

That said a patched up midfield might not have been tried defensively in as uninspired a fashion against any of the other big three Southern Hemisphere sides. And had our injuries of genuine world class players extended to the half backs I wouldn't want to guess what Schmidt would come up with to fashion a win.

Which is a compliment of course.

Opposition coaches would often be frustrated with TV interviewers when they wanted to spin the Schmidt=total rugby, fast ball narrative and want to talk about how Leinster always focused on slowing opposition ball.

[flustered]

433 the half back pairing are up there with the best alright..............Aaron Smith and any of the 3 choices for NZ would be up there with Murray and Sexton

[fourthirtythree]

433 the half back pairing are up there with the best alright..............Aaron Smith and any of the 3 choices for NZ would be up there with Murray and Sexton

I think the pairing we have add a dimension of physicality that other half back pairings don't quite have. But of course NZ are always there or thereabouts in any discussion like this. It feels arrogant to be saying it but I really do think they up there at the top.

With a long drop off to the backups.

[flustered]

Yeah I would agree, and like our long drop off I think there is a long drop off from Smith to the next best scrum half (why he tends to remain on the pitch for as long as possible), NZ just have more options at 10, I would go in the order of Carter, Barrett, Cruden. It is a big drop off from Sexton to any of Jackson/Madigan/Keatley etc.

[Donny B.]

Dom and Dave Foley there for the announcement

[Oldschool]

Here's my take on World Rugby.
NZ are the resl deal.
OZ are great con artists.
SA are poor con artists.
ENG think they're the real deal.
WE can beat all of them on merit bar NZ.
NZ OZ and US have the best coaches.
There's a small step down to WALES and ENG and SCOTLAND
Then another small step down to the rest.

We have about 5 players who would be shortlisted for a world 23.
Only NZ have more.
However Eng SA and France have more depth.

Bottom line if we can get our best squad fit and ready to RWC 2015 then the world should tremble before our MIGHT.

[Fireworks]

Here's my take on World Rugby.
NZ are the resl deal.
OZ are great con artists.
SA are poor con artists.
ENG think they're the real deal.
WE can beat all of them on merit bar NZ.
NZ OZ and US have the best coaches.
There's a small step down to WALES and ENG and SCOTLAND
Then another small step down to the rest.

We have about 5 players who would be shortlisted for a world 23.
Only NZ have more.
However Eng SA and France have more depth.

Bottom line if we can get our best squad fit and ready to RWC 2015 then the world should tremble before our MIGHT.

If we could add sound files to our posts then I think this one would have had triumphant horn blaring at the end.

[The Anathemata]

Not been impressed with Payne @13 for either Ireland or Ulster. I hope Joe has the good sense to pick Earls or Fitz.

[Oldschool]

Not been impressed with Payne @13 for either Ireland or Ulster. I hope Joe has the good sense to pick Earls or Fitz.

Payne has been fine. He does two things, in particular, very well, he suports the player with ball and has a gift for finding space where there isn't any.
He's a better 13 than Earls could every be.

[Oldschool]

Here's my take on World Rugby.
NZ are the resl deal.
OZ are great con artists.
SA are poor con artists.
ENG think they're the real deal.
WE can beat all of them on merit bar NZ.
NZ OZ and US have the best coaches.
There's a small step down to WALES and ENG and SCOTLAND
Then another small step down to the rest.

We have about 5 players who would be shortlisted for a world 23.
Only NZ have more.
However Eng SA and France have more depth.

Bottom line if we can get our best squad fit and ready to RWC 2015 then the world should tremble before our MIGHT.

If we could add sound files to our posts then I think this one would have had triumphant horn blaring at the end.

Worth remembering, it's always better to "Get your Triumpalism in Early"