Victor Matfield fittingly runs out for his 100th game in front of his home crowd on Saturday, when the Springboks take on Australia for no more than pride in the Tri Nations outing, after New Zealand took the trophy home after their last minute victory over the Boks.
The Bok coach has made a few changes to the team that disappointingly lost last weekend, with the much publicised Frans Steyn return to the fullback position. Jaque Fourie also returns to the centre position for an attacking looking backline.Amongst the forwards we see no changes.
The Australians will come into this match with some confidence, after watching the All Blacks beat the Boks at altitude, and will be looking to do much the same.
Recent results:
2010: Australia won 30-13, Brisbane
2009: Australia won 21-6, Brisbane
2009: South Africa won 32-25, Perth
2009: South Africa won 29-17, Cape Town
2008: South Africa won 53-8, Johannesburg
2008: Australia won 27-15, Durban
2008: Australia won 16-9, Perth
2007: Australia won 25-17, Sydney
2007: South Africa won 22-19, Cape Town
2006: South Africa won 24-16, Johannesburg
2006: Australia won 20-18, Sydney
2006: Australia won 49-0, Brisbane.
Teams:
South Africa: 15 François Steyn, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Butch James, 22 Juan de Jongh.
Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O’Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (captain), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Salesi Ma’afu, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Benin Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 James Slipper, 18 Ben McCalman, 19 Scott Higginbotham, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Anthony Faingaa.
Date: Saturday, 28 August 2010
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Expected weather conditions: Clear with a high of 27°C, dropping to 9°C and a light wind from the north, dropping – a perfect Highveld day for rugby
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Go Bokke!!! I honestly believe we should win the games.
Go Bokke!! Go Frans Steyn. 🙄
Cmon bokke. Think we can edge this 1
Almost kick-off time! Go Bokke!
Matfield leading the Boks out!
Edge this one…? If we dont win convincingly, it will be like a loss.
TOKS!!!!!!!!!!
Toks can sing 🙂
Come on bokke! We can do it!!
Bladen: Alain Rolland will blow this test. 😛
I hope he doesn’t blow it. 😉
Ref already shown he isn’t going to blow aussie at the breakdown..
Fransie het bietjie hare gesny 😈
Mitcell try?????????????? after less than 2min
No try!
POOR defence.
No Try
Homeground decision by Veldsman
Joel stransky already getting on my nerves!!!
Genia try!
Matfield and JdV miss Genia 👿 and TRY!!!!!!!!!
🙄 🙄
SA 0 – 7 Aus
4min
O’ Connor try!
O’connor TRY!!!!!! 👿
SA 0 – 14 Aus
6min
Australia is going to win 🙄
@Jarson (Comment 24) :
There goes my SB. 😆 I got SA for everything on SB. 😳
Let me check what else is on…
Boks frontrow are fatter than their Aussie counterparts
@Rahul (Comment 26) : Heheheeh
Smith try!!
Juan Smith TRY!!!!!!!
Their defence is worse than ours if that is possible.
Juan Smith is ‘n yster 😛
@Jarson (Comment 27) :
SARU has instructed them to put on weight so that the Womens team doesn’t look so bad.
O’connor try
Thanks habana 👿
2nd O Connor try 🙄
@KSA Shark © (Comment 32) : 😈
Ksa cant type fast enough 🙂
SA 7 – 21 Aus
11min
When last was 28points scored in 11minutes of a test?
@Rahul (Comment 35) :
FOK WEET!!!!! hulle druk te veel driee.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 25) : I got ‘draw’ as most tries and SA for the rest 😳
Guthro try!!
Gerthro 🙄 TRY!!!!!!!
SA 14 – 21 Aus
14min
14 – 21
15mins
😯 look at the chunks of open spaces in the stands 😯
@KSA Shark © (Comment 32) : I see the women is also playing Australia tonight
@Jarson (Comment 44) :
I thought tellytubbies was usually on TV in the mornings.
It will be hilarious if m steyn comes up short!
57.7m Penalty attempt and it’s…… over!!
Morne Steyn slots a PK from 9m inside his own half,
SA 17 – 21 Aus
20min
@KSA Shark © (Comment 45) :
Habana catches the kick-off WhoooooHooooooo 😕
52.2m Penalty attempt and it’s…… miss!!
I’m not sure who is the bigger fool Habana or PdV for selecting him. 😳
Bonus point try!
Habana gives away another try. 👿
Mumm TRY!!!!!
BP
Which Steyn is the bigger idiot?
Where is Frans Steyn??
SA 17 – 28 Aus
27min
@Jarson (Comment 56) :
Kicking up and unders into touch. 😕
@Jarson (Comment 56) : Oh there he is screwing up 🙄
Boks are just kicking all their possession away. 🙄
Spies try!!
awesome try
Spies TRY!!!!!!!
And I don’t care that the pass to him was forward. 😆
@Jarson (Comment 61) : after putting 12 phases together
@KSA Shark © (Comment 63) : it was, wasn’t it? By a mile!
SA 24 – 28 Aus
32min
@robdylan (Comment 65) :
Commentators haven’t said a word. 😆
Great kick by Morne
@KSA Shark © (Comment 52) : You could ask that same question but just replace Habana with “The Fat Mechanic”
@lostfish (Comment 69) :
Mechanic hasn’t done anything wrong tonight. 😛
Is tackling optional in this game … SHOCKING!!!
The Boks look well lethargic(sp) its most annoying ..WTF!
Why are we not running onto the ball ???
High paced game this is
What a crap, candy floss game. And we are losing.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 71) :
CSB!!!!!! Welcome stranger.
Both teams have left their padding at home and are scared to tackle. 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 70) : yet 😈
HALF TIME
Springboks 24 – 28 Australia
Halftime
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 71) : howzit CSB. Far too long!
Cheers KSA !
Been a busy year .. happy to be posting again 😀
After going to last weeks game I’m so pissed at our demise …
This game as it seems is tailored for a player like Aplon .. 🙄
You well KSA?
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 79) :
Very Well. Got back from 5 weeks in the US a little over a month ago. Holiday to SA for Xmas booked already. 😎
Did you see any “action” during the SWC or just stand around looking pretty? 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 80) :
Hahahaa not much action … did well to look pretty 😉
Wow so life is good hey what a pleasure !
Wat maak Fransiena ? 🙄
I’m currrently at a wedding .. sneaking away to my room for some ruggers and blogging
And F Steyn farks up again 🙄
Does stransky need glasses!?
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 83) :
Goodman. as long as you’re not the BEST man. 😆
Faiinnga goes into the submissive position 😛
M Steyn PK
SA 27 – 28 Aus
46min
Boks are HONDKAK. Pass it on
@Jarson (Comment 87) :
That was funny. If he was a Saffa he’d be thinking “NOU gaan hulle my bliksem” 😉
M Gitau Pk
SA 27 – 31 Aus
48min
The Git slots a PK
SA 27 – 31 Aus
48min
Frans Steyn TRY!!!!!
try frooooonsie
@Charlie (Comment 82) :
Sy druk Driee. 😛
Gloryboy Fransie scores the BP try 😯 😯
Boks lead!
SA 34 – 31 Aus
51min
Halftime Leaders: Bokke 😳
Most Tries: Draw 😎
Winning team: Bokke ❓
@Jarson (Comment 99) :
at least 2 more tries in this game. probably 3.
Toks can sing, can CJ scrum?
Damn these okes are tough…
Spies held up. 🙁
KSA, what do you call the move the ref just made? 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 100) : Shurrup
@Jarson (Comment 104) :
Which one was that?
@Jarson (Comment 105) : 😛
HOUGAARD AWESOME tackle!!!!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 106) : The one when Spies was held up 😆
Does hougaard know what size he is! Unbelievable!
@Jarson (Comment 109) : Other than him indicating “held up” I didn’t see. 🙄
Chilly on for Smit.
So Victoria will be the winning Captain. 👿
@KSA Shark © (Comment 111) : It just look funny to me when he was doing it 😛
Ja I thought as much.
The quickly LO ball must have touched somebody with the force with which it was passed into touch by the Aussies.
Replay just showed Steyn being passed the ball by a ball boy. 😆 Wonder if any Saffas will be moaning about that reffing mistake?
BUTCH Warming up!!!!!!!
@Jarson (Comment 113) : 😛
I think this is an exciting game actually 😎
Kette is more excited about Butch coming on than she has been about any of the tries. 😆
Why r the Boks so bloody unfit …we cannot sit back and hand the aussies possesion for the last 20 ..we WILL lose this test match then …
Very bizarre whats going on here in this match …
@Jarson (Comment 117) :
nothing “actually” about it. It IS a good game
Fransie head back to your bagettes and frog legs ..
Aplon got a crap deal here !
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 119) :
We saw the same thing last week. But have no fear, we WILL win this one.
51.8m Penalty attempt by Fransie is……. Over!!
Franscois Steyn 51,8m PK
SA 37 – 31 Aus
68min
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 121) :
Aplon DID get a kak deal but because Habana is playing ahead of him not because of Steyn being in the team.
6 point margin. I picked the Boks by 8 😕
Bring on Juan de Jongh at inside and move Jean to the wing in place of Habana. Habana needs to get a shake up ..he doesn’t own the 11 jersey and is purly there on past form.
@Jarson (Comment 126) :
9 for me. 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 125) :
Fair enough , Habana has lost it bigtime..he needs to be dropped plain and simple.
doit
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 129) :
Agreed
That was not a knock!!!!!!! The ball never moved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5mins remaining
Chilli looks good, ey?
BUTCH!!!!!!!!!
Bladen: Butch James special that.
GREAT tackle!!!!!!!
3mins remaining
Did he just stand on CJs face. 😯
JPP TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pieterson try!!!
Hougaard has got to be man of the match, surely?
Win SA by 9 😎
Half time lead SA 😳
Most tries SA 😎
KSA I’m a big Frans fan but I don’t agree with us having to run around trying to secure he’s services for SA like Benni MCCarthy…and then he plays such an ordinary game…Can’t fault him I guess it is a big ask coming from a different enviroment and suddenly has to slot in…
Hell what a game ..
John back on for CJ.
THANK FOOK!!!!!!!!!!
Alain Rolland telling the time keeper to sound the hooter after the kick.
I still get a margin point 😀
CJ van der Linde… what was he actually there for?
FULL TIME
Springboks 44 – 31 Australia
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 142) :
I agree. if you need to beg or go out of your way to get someone then use what you have.
I would STILL have gone with someone other than Aplon at 15 though. Aplon should be the 11.
Why the hell was Kanko there if they´re going to play Jenga at 8 for the whole game?
hats off to Vickie. A superb innings.
And I know you guys will slate me for this, but I think he must captain the Boks at the World Cup.
Hoff looks so bored 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 150) :
Dude you’ve gone soft in the head.
HOT DIGGITY DAWG!!! 😆 😆 😆
OMG – what a finish. I knew a performance like this was just a step away – being behind so early forced us to respect possession, and hey presto – sien daar!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 148) :
I have been arguing strongly for that. Fransie wasnt bad, but not mind-blowing either.
@rhineshark (Comment 149) : Jenga?
Next weeks backline :
Hougaard
Steyn
de Jongh
Fourie
Aplon
JP
F. Steyn
@KSA Shark © (Comment 152) : will explain my reasoning on Monday night 🙂
Well done Bokke!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 152) :
Musta acidentally sniffed some petrol fumes that boy.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 155) :
I thought JDV had a very good game today. Adi and de Jongh will have to fight for their positions if the centres continue like that.
@robdylan (Comment 156) : Cute kid dude. And that’s saying a lot coming from me.
I see he’s trying to follow his old man’s grooming habits. 😈
Australia’s women’s team also has a Gitau, but she’s a wing 😈
@robdylan (Comment 156) :
Dude you’re gonna have to edit out a WHOLE lot of swearing from me.
@robdylan (Comment 154) : It’s a game where you stack wooden blocks on top of each other and iteratively remove one from the stack and place it on the top. First oke to topple the stack loses. Kinda like pick-up-sticks only more structured.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenga
How it relates to Spies, well, you’ll have to get an explanation from rhineshark on that one. 😛
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 155) :
Nooit Jean Div had an awesome game, he needs to stay there.
@Jarson (Comment 160) : And she scores the 1st try 😯 SA’s 8 looks like a man. I demand gender tests.
Aus 7 – 0 SA
7mins
@Jarson (Comment 164) : kwakwakwakwakwa 😆
In womans rugby, the wings are the designated kickers 😎
@Jarson (Comment 167) : Serias? Why? 😐
@klempie (Comment 168) : I think its just a coincidence 🙂
Well got to go. Good luck ladies 😳
My last score update:
Aus 10 – 0 SA
17min
SA’s no8 she-man gets a yellow 🙄
Aus 2nd try!!
Aus 17 – 0 SA
21min
@Jarson (Comment 171) :
Lovely hairstyle she has. 😕
Aus 3rd try!!
Aus 24 – 0 SA
27min
Bonus point try!!
Another hiding is received 😳
Aus 31 – 0 SA
30mins
@KSA Shark © (Comment 173) : Just like Rob’s 😉 😛
Must admit, it’s quite entertaining 🙂
@Jarson (Comment 178) :
My TV is showing USA v ENG 😕
Halftime
Aus 31 – 0 SA
Sorry guys and gals, I’m really out. Enjoy 🙂
Hey klemps! Why are you on this thread??
I thought you were supporting the Aussies today!! 😈
@wpw (Comment 181) : is there something in the WP water that makes habana so kak?
@Big Fish (Comment 158) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 163) :
Chaps I agree Jean had a good game today but was very ordinary last week … my reasoning though is we all know what we have in Jean and think its time to give de Jongh a start especially if you consider the end of year tour ..
Also Juan is the one centre other than Adi that can take a gap and i reckon he is better than jean at present ..certainly better than Olivier and the bonus is that once he hits a gap he passes.
I’ll have to watch the game again but I seriously think something is not well ..it may be tactics but I don’t understand why we don’t offload in the tackle and have runners coming off the ball carrier ..was very evident last week…
PS: MY most favourite Boks at the mo are Aplon and Juan De jongh and i’m not even a Province supporter ..lol
Anyone know if there are some highlights of the sharks game around sumwere??
Hey Megatron!
I have no idea bru. Thing is most players lose form at some time. Even the ‘great’ Fourie Du Preez had one or two average seasons. It happens…
Habs will be back but until then I reckon Aplon or Basson should start ahead of him.
@wpw (Comment 181) : More or less missed the game bru. Let’s just say I had a more pressing engagement. 😉
@wpw (Comment 181) : And supporting isn’t the word I’d use. More like favouring whatever results get Div out of the system in the quickest way possible. 😛
‘a more pressing engagement’
Well we all know it didn’t involve a female!
@wpw (Comment 188) : 😉
@robdylan (Comment 154) : Doesn´t take much to knock him over
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 183) : Agreed.. It was very noticeable that the Boks didn’t have support runners. Often someone would break the advantage line only to be left on their own with 4 Aussies fighting for the ball. As a result our game isn’t nearly as flowing and fast paced as the Aussies, and we battle to catch them off-guard.
I was at the game, and it was very noticeable how the Aussies were creating overlaps at will!! They’d go left, create an overlap, then go right and immediately they’d have another overlap?? How does that work? Clearly too many Boks were panting in the middle of the field and leaving it up to Hougaard to defend the wings!!!
I think one of our biggest weaknesses is out wide… if the Aussie forwards had realised how many overlaps they had out wide we would’ve been screwed!
Having said that though, how the fok did Beale twinkle his way through our entire midfield defense 👿 I didn’t even rate Beale until tonight!!! Either we’re flipping useless on defence at the moment, or he’s actually got talent!
Interesting to watch the two backlines warming up… SA jog up and down the field passing the ball to each other like we did in Primary school… the Aussies put defenders in the way and actually put pressure on their backline’s passing during the warm-up.
Their passing is flipping slick… just ask the fan in the stands who nearly got knocked out with that one Aussie pass into touch during the game
Were you guys able to see on TV how the Ref got blatantly in the way of Hougaard passing to Butch whilst we were defending our line towards the end of the game 👿
we were less than 5 metres from our line on the RHS of the field, the forwards were setting up a dummy “pod” on the left, but it was clear Hougaard was going to pass behind the tryline to Butch for a clearance… and the Ref was standing directly in the passing line between the Srummmie and the Flyhalf… surely that’s school-boy reffing technique 👿 You don’t stand between a Scrummie and his flyhalf when they’re defending their line under ENORMOUS pressure. He was so close to Hougaard, Hougaard could’ve touched him WTF!!!!! (At least he gave us a scrum, but I think that was for something else, I don’t think he even acknowledged he was at fault?)
@CS (Comment 193) : The ref should have been tackled out the way like in the previous game. 😈
@CS (Comment 194) : the ref did give the scrum for being in the way
I don’t get the fascination with Aplon.
The guy was a backup at the Stormers all season. He’s not young anymore, he is way too small for test rugby and SA has a number of talented young wings with great potential that should be looked at in place of a micro never-will-be.
@fyndraai (Comment 197) : Yeh but even if he’s there for the amusement of seeing him clear out loosies double his size at the ruck, he’s worth the admission fee. 😆
@wpw (Comment 185) :
Nah dude. Habana had his drop in form and return to form already. This new dip in form is his last one and there is no return on the cards IMO.
@klempie (Comment 198) :
He has hart and he punch way above his weight. Good on him.
But we should rather be arguing about who of v.d.Heever, Basson, Mapoe or Mvovo is the best prospect.
Instead we waste space in the Bok team on a 27 year old rookie.
@fyndraai (Comment 200) : Is jy by Loftus hierdie naweek ou swaer?
@fyndraai (Comment 200) :
Have to agree with you on this, even though I think most will disagree.
I think the fact that he is 27 indicates that he is not consistent, or can be targetted and neutralised. Good honest player, but not a WC-winner, IMO.
That said, Mapoe has been out for yonks, Mvovo and Basson have not proven themselves in Superrugby, and vd Heever has shown himself to be good, but not special. Reckon its Habana or Jacques Fourie at the WC next year.
@Big Fish (Comment 202) : Shouldn’t you be doing assignments?? 😈
@klempie:
Sadly, yes. 🙁
You have a Masters in Arts don’t you? Pass some hints man; how did you keep motivated? I can’t wait to finish in December…
@Big Fish (Comment 204) : Masters in Arts? That qualifies you to serve burgers as well as fries? 🙂
@Big Fish (Comment 204) : Honours in Computer Science boetie.
@robdylan (Comment 205) : Ja but let’s be honest, the game watching surrounding the Human Sciences building on Roper Street was far more engaging than at the IT and Engineering faculties. 😉