It’s the big one, the quarter final at Twickenham. Go Boks!!!
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez (captain), 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Jannie du Plessis, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jan Serfontein.
Wales: 15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Tyler Morgan, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 George North, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Alun-Wyn Jones, 4 Luke Charteris, 3 Samson Lee, 2 Scott Baldwin, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Paul James, 18 Tom Francis, 19 Bradley Davies, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22. Rhys Priestland, 23. James Hook.
Tweet
Go Bokke!
Knak die drake.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 1) : where you watching the game?
If Pollard doesn’t kick better than Biggar we might struggle, especially if discipline isn’t good in our half.
Let’s also hope the cushy facilities haven’t had an effect.
Go Sharks!!!!!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 4) : Remember the good old days when you used to be able to shout that without it referring to what they did after the match, on the bus…
Beastie shedding tears 😥
@Poisy (Comment 6) : Also saw a glassiness in Schalk’s eyes 😀
GO BOKKE!!!!!!!
Great try by Wales!
SA 12 – 10 Wales
25 minutes.
Half Time
South Africa 12 – 13 Wales
Drop goal from Biggar just before half time.
It’s rwc 2011 all over again – Boks again unable to turn field position into tries.
We keep losing the ball on the attack, and this time there is no Bryce to blame.
Boks need to seriously step up….sub Kriel with Serfontein and sub Willie with Lambie. Willie is a special kind of poor today.
Fliuw also not adding as much impact as required, what with our backline players gainingmore turnovers than him.
I’m a bit worried and won’t be shocked if we lose thiz game….still, Go Bokke.
If we can stop dropping the ball we’ll win this game. They have played well and we keep dropping the ball and losing possession so we can still win this. Hope Alberts can dominate the collision when he comes on. Game on.
Willie is horrible today… Boks arent looking smart enough to win this.
Pollard misses a shot at goal.
…Our stupidity is now really being exploited…
Schalk should get the fuck off the field. This is Japan all over again with Schalk hogging all the ball and fucking up the whole time.
Biggar in turn nails a penalty.
SA 12 – 16 Wales
47 minutes.
Wings are not getting the ball because Schalk is a glory boy c……
Schalk (no pass 🙄 ) Burger. Wales turn the ball over on their own 5m line.
Pollard slots a drop kick.
@JarsonX (Comment 21) : There’s no place for glory boys in this team… HM has coached any free thinking out of them… Therefore, Schalk is doing EXACTLY what his coach has brainwashed him to do 🙁
We are a VERY VERY poorly coached side!
SA 15 – 16 Wales
52 minutes.
@CS (Comment 24) : I could have told you this a very long time ago.
Beast passed!! 😯
Wow… Willie LeRoux is having a crap game today 🙁
A better coach would have taken him off 40 mins ago
@Ben (Comment 26) : We haven’t had a good coach for 8 years now have we 🙁
Pollard misses another penalty.
I can’t wait for a new Bok era, devoid of this one-dimensional no-brain kak this team thinks is a gameplan.
@CS (Comment 28) : I say move Jesse to 15 and bring on Serfontein.
@CS (Comment 29) : True 🙁
@Ben (Comment 32) : good idea that…forgot that Kriel is actually a fullback.
And please sub Schalk with a real fh. 🙄
South Africa with 78% possession in the second half. What do we have to show for it? 🙄
@FireTheLooser (Comment 34) : Lambie for Schalk then. 😈
@Ben (Comment 35) : A game plan ❓
@Ben (Comment 36) : yup
Pollard kicks a tough penalty.
If we win this today it’ll be a steal
SA 18 – 16 Wales
62 minutes.
and… a penalty straight back to them. Wow we are shite today
@Ben (Comment 41) : Not for long
Biggar replies with a penalty of his own.
SA 18 – 19 Wales
64 minutes.
Can anyone name one thing that Flouw brings to the table that Marcell wouldn’t?
How absolutely fucking DOGSHIT IDIOTIC is this Bok “attack” 😥 😥 😥
Barnes is calling nothing for us
FdP is as slow as Pienaar today…and thus HM’s deck of cards is being shaken to the core.
Heyneke rings the changes. 😯
@byron (Comment 48) : Ag pleez man! That’s bullshit.
@byron (Comment 48) : That’s loser mentality. I’m sorry.
Wales took Japan’s playbook and copied it word for word….guess that game wasn’t Lambie’s fault after all.
9 minutes left. SA still trail by 1 point.
SA into the Wales 22 now.
First time Jannie touches the ball he turns it over 🙄
Scrum awarded to the Boks. I see a drop goal coming here.
I can’t remember our attacking game looking worse than it is now. Schalk might as well wear the nr 10 jersey because he is first receiver EVERY time. He even kicked down field once.
7 minutes left.
@Blue Centurion (Comment 58) : The studio guests at half time discussed how Biggar was the better game manager. No fucking wonder when Schalk is ours.
6 minutes left.
Brilliant…..
Brilliant offload Vermeulen!!! 😎 😎 😎
Fourie du Preez scores in the corner after a great offload from Vermeulen.
NOT game over
Pollard missed again….
Pollard misses the conversion.
SA 23 – 19 Wales
76 minutes.
Lambie gets his token 4 minutes
Lambie gets 4 minutes. 🙄
…but Pollard is so much better than Lambie….Lambie gets himself a full 4 mins.
De Allende has been our best fetcher
Dan Biggar will never forgive Gatland for taking him off…
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 72) : which why I wonder why Flouw is there
1 minute left. Wales have the ball in their own 22.
Time’s up. Wales still attacking. On halfway now.
Not deserved but congrats.
FULL TIME
SOUTH AFRICA 23 – 19 WALES
Let’s hope this wasn’t our final. Great game to watch, irrespective. 😎
Damnit that was close….major sigh of releif but tons of work to do.
Well done to the boys for somehow pulling this game through.
With Schalk starting, next week wil be our last game.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 74) : We’re not alone in this. Maybe we should ask Jaco Kriel, Kwagga Smith, etc.
We played the sam crap as we did against Japan, only difference was 1 individual’s great pass.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 83) : Great summary, mate
Well done boys, we just found a way to win today. I just hope we bring more next week. I feel for Dan Biggar, he was winning that game for Wales and the second he came off we looked like we could win.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 82) : Flouw is as avarage as Stegman used to be for the Boks.
We really didn’t look good today, but at least we won’t be going to the semi’s as favourites….we’re definitely the under dog no matter who wins later tonight.
A depleted Wales did really well to get this close….and could easily have won.
@Hulk (Comment 85) : Agree. I felt gutted for the whole Welsh side just by looking at Biggar’s face.
So much for my all north semis sigh
@FireTheLooser (Comment 86) : I agree! SA has the knack of playing players on historical performance when it’s blatantly obvious that there are equal players currently on form. I’m not talking about chopping and changing. Flouw hasn’t been that great for Bath in ages, yet he walks wears the Bok 6 jersey solely as incumbent. Idiotic.
Go France!!!!!!
We were lucky to win that much.
The combination of Schalk Burger and Pollard is the worst combo ever. They both should be benched next week. We will not get into the Finals with them.
Alberts should come in and Lambie to start
I guarantee if we lost this people would be blaming these two.
@Mocho (Comment 91) : It doesn’t matter. The game plan would just sub Alberts and Lambie.
We had 72 % possession at one stage. This reminds of the last world cup in 2011. We did not know what to do with the ball. Nothing has changed in four years.
Oh well… I’ll console myself with the mantra: “A bad win is better than I good loss”
@Mocho (Comment 94) : I think we digressed in quality, but we would have been in the 2011 final; but for Bryce Lawrence.
Jeez at least SABC is saying it as it is. Supersport wear those Heyneke Sunglasses
@CS (Comment 95) : agree there….boy we looked bad – how much of that was down to Wales throwing everything at us, and how much of that was our 1-D attack?
Certain individuals need changing – starting with Willie and Flouw. Lood also needs to shake this game and get his mojo back.
Pollard did good enough to deserve another start (though I’d prefer Lambie), Pollard wasn’t the weak link tonight.
I agree with Ben in moving Kriel to fullback, and Serfontein to 13. Replacing Flouw though, well HM never though of bringing a second open-side flank….
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 96) : Agree. Flip I think we need Morne Steyn right now. Those kicks count.
What The Fuck?
How can Schalk be awarded man of the match?
I thought he was just about our worst player.
@jonnow (Comment 100) : Absolutely mind-bogling. 😯
Seems we’re getting what we wanted in 2011.
Ab’s are on fire, scary when a team plays this well in a quarter final.
And hows Hansen subbing Crocket for costing them their try…no stopwatch needed.
The all blacks look like the real deal, just as much fire as the boks but they actually seem to have direction on what they want to execute
I hope the All Blacks are getting all their trys out of their system tonight… Otherwise we’ve got a lonnngggg 80 minutes ahead of us next weekend 🙁
Full Time
New Zealand 62 – 13 France
Were the ab’s actually this good, or were the French that bad….from what I could tell this was that other French team, the one that lost to the Argies in ’07, and lost to Tonga in 2011.
…We’re definitely the underdog next weekend, we’ll probably be given 0% chance of going through to the final.
I have no idea how we going to beat the ABs next week
@FireTheLooser (Comment 106) : The french were utterly terrible. Made 95 tackles … missed 24. Not that they were effective anyway. Lost 4 lines. Turned over their possesion in their half on 6 occasions and had clearance kicks charged down on 2 or 3 occasions.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 107) : On yesterdays performance?? -0.50% chance.
Watching the all blacks yesterday was very sobering. It’s like watching someone come at you with the lethal injection and there’s nothing you can do about it. The only way we beat them next week is if they have one of those famous all black world cup meltdowns. But I just don’t see this all black squad doing that.
@MysticShark (Comment 108) : Food poisoning it’s worked before 😆 😆
Wales has been one of the best defensive teams of the World Cuo and looked like turning over Australia last week. This is a good result – let’s enjoy it rather than complain because we don’t like the way it’s been achieved – it’s a World Cup QF. Next week Australia and that game looks like it can go it either way – which given the state after the Japan game is an ok place to be….
@byron (Comment 109) : In comparison … wales made over 190 tackles yesterday. As slick as nz looked yesterday its difficult to compare the two matches.
Sorry, it’s the ABs next week! Yeah, they were great but they’re going to be up against a very difficult physical proposition.
@Poisy (Comment 2) : Aah sheesh, only saw your question now – watched it at home with my wife….just the two of us. 😉
@JR (Comment 113) : Nope…next week we’re playing the AB’s. EDIT: @JR (Comment 115) : and then I saw you corrected yourself.
We’ll have to draw on whatever got us through the ’95 final, as NZ is looking as imposing as back then.
@byron (Comment 114) : Agree with you 100%….I’d rather have the Boks shading the quarter final, and be seen as rank underdogs for the semi, rather than acing the quarters by beating an indifferent French side and be overwhelming favourites for the semi.
GO ARGIES!!!!
Pumas looking very dangerous!!!
Jeepers Pumas! Great start…17-0 after 13 minutes…
17-3 after 19 mins…
Make that 20-3…
Make that 20-10…great game this!
Argies need to sub their th….not long before he gets his red card.
Ire 20 – 23 Arg btw 55mins.
Come on Pumas FFS!!!!!
We need all SH semi finals
The Aussies may be watching with interest
Fuck yes!!!!!!! Pumas!!!
And that’s the ball game. Well done Los Pumas!!!! 😎 😎 😎
What a game…glad we didn’t face the Pumas in the quarters.
So the hope of the North is now firmly pinned on Scotland. 😈
@FireTheLooser (Comment 132) : lol boy was I wrong about the northern teams
but heck I’m happy I was
Don’t think we would be able to live with this Pumas team. Think the Ozzies (foregone conclusion) may rather want to have played Ireland.
@Bokhoring (Comment 134) : We are definitely the weakest of the four semi-finalists.
@Poisy (Comment 133) : Same as me thinking the Boks wouldn’t progress past the quarters…very happy I was wrong. 😀
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 135) : That’s a good thing….the Boks are at their best when they are flying under the radar and completely written off.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 136) : I agree, but only when our game plan has more than one line, but maybe Schalk at 10 IS the game plan.
This pisses me off, because we were at our best under Meyer when Willie got involved as first receiver.
Now neither Schalk nor Willie are performing at their full potential.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 137) : …and HM can’t adapt. 🙄
@FireTheLooser (Comment 138) : Nail. Head.
Go Scots!!! We need an easy final
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 140) : can’t say I’m cheering for an all SH semi….Go the Scots!
Ozzies fast asleep…10 – 5 to the Scots.
19mins. down
How much will Oz miss Pocock roday?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 142) : Plenty! Pocock is worth two Flouws.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 141) : I’m cheering for the Scots, but another NZ RWC win would be too much. AB vs Scotland no contest.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 144) : don’t worry….the Argies will take the Scots any day of the week, and they would really love to take their first AB scalp.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 145) : True. I’m assured by the fact that you also don’t give us a chance. 😆
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 144) : if Scots win then who ever win between Bokke and NZ will win World cup.
Scotland leads by two points with 7min to go.
Could it be….come on Scotland.
Rain definitely favours Scotland. Just get out of your half.
Scotland scores again – leading 34-32. What a game
And it is pissing down
Scotland 15 does his ballerina act again
Foley penalty has Aus leading by 1
Damnit….so close
very luck for Oz to win this game by only one point!!!!!
Aus wins due to a bit of a harsh penalty given by Joubert
Scotland not happy….they came close, very close. Man that was disapointing.
Oz decidedly average without Pocock.
Have to feel for Scotland. What do you folks reckon, was the last penalty unnecessary?
@vanmartin (Comment 159) : I’ve never understood that rule… How is it any different to a forward pass!?
@CS (Comment 160) : No clue, I honestly don’t know the law on this very well.
@vanmartin (Comment 159) : @CS (Comment 160) : I don’t understand why that is a penalty….but ealrier in the game a similar offense was called accidental offside: Scrum?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 162) : Yes, I would’ve thought accidental offside… Scrum… Was the fairer way to go 🙁
Poor Scots… F’ing Aussies!!
@CS (Comment 163) : at least we have the rugby championship round 2 next weekend
Joubert has become Scotland’s Bryce Lawrence. Not his first major fuck up. Remember the Crusaders vs Waratahs final?
@durbsguy (Comment 164) : True… Unfortunately we all know how we did in the Championship 🙁
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 165) : The thing is… I don’t think it was a fuck up by Joubert… The rule is the rule… I just think it’s a fucked up rule!
@CS (Comment 167) : Agreed, if that’s the law it was the right call, l just don’t really know or understand the law.
@CS (Comment 167) : The rule is fine. Joubert’s call was the problem.
The last player to touch the ball before the Scottish player was an Aussie. Since the ball went forward before it touched the said Aussie, it should have been a scrum.
SO:
Ball goes forward from Scotsman
Ball touches Aussie
Knock on rule
Ball travels further and caught by Scotsman.
First offence knock on, because no off side
@vanmartin (Comment 159) : To me a deliberate infringement or dangerous play deserves a penalty, but a mistake should result in a scrum. There was nothing deliberate about the Scot taking the ball coming at him – all instinctive. However technically that is a penalty as per the law. Just not a great way to decide the outcome of a match. However it did seem Joubert earlier ruled a similar incident merely a scrum – so perhaps a bit inconsistent.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 169) : Law 11.3 Being put onside by opponents
(c) Intentionally touches ball. When an opponent intentionally touches the ball but does not catch it, the offside player is put onside.
Video: https://youtu.be/6Jx1I_tRXNU?t=1044
Phipps didn’t intentionally touch or play the ball therefore the Scotland player who caught the ball was never onside
@Baylion (Comment 171) : Thanks for getting the law sorted. This is one of my main gripes with rugby as an international sport.
This means that Albert’s weird try against Ireland (last November?) was also no try, because the Irish player unintentionally put him onside by getting the ball kicked into him.
@CS (Comment 160) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 162) : @CS (Comment 163) : @Spirit of Rugby (Comment 165) : it’s actually very easy gents, if you’re in front of the ball carrier you lose all rights to play the ball just like with a kick you’re not allowed to play the ball! If the ball strikes you it is accidental but if you deliberately play the ball it is a penalty (so the first one Joubert got wrong as that also should have been a penalty!!!).
Law is there to ensure the other team has a chance to play the ball and possibly get advantage from your teams mistake.
@JD (Comment 173) : Easy on paper… Maybe a bit unrealistic in practise?
In realtime it’s often impossible to judge who the ball bounced off… Most times those penalties are given to guys who acted instinctually without time to even see where the ball came from… Had it bounced off an Aussie, the Scotsman would’ve acted quickly, secured the ball and secured the game… Instead it bounced off the shoulder of his own player (by centimetres), and now his “instinct” and quick actions cost his team the game…
Rules are rules… I just think it’s a sucky rule when there’s no malicious intent and it happens in a millisecond.
Benefit of hindsight… Scotland should’ve thrown to the front of the line out, much less risky in pouring rain, secured the ball… Held onto it for 30 seconds… Kicked it out, victory for Scotland. They played out of their skins for 79 minutes and lost their composure in the last 60 seconds.
Well look on the bright side gents atleast he won’t ref a bok game lol
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 172) : vs England 2012
Ball spillt loose, England player kicked it against JPP and it bounced forward. At that point Alberts was offsides but an England player tried to catch it and knocked in back infield where Alberts collected and scored. Perfectly legal 🙂
Video: https://youtu.be/v7Tmhz2qtjQ
@JD (Comment 173) : Well, the laws or interpretations thereof are ambiguous then. How can it be legal for all players in front of a kicker to be placed on side by virtue of an opposition player’s contact with the ball, but when it’s knock then not?
@Poisy (Comment 175) : That all NH semis forecast went South rather swiftly, huh? (I’m not really rubbing it in, I just wanted to make my stupid ‘went South’ joke)
@Baylion (Comment 176) : That’s the one! I remember everyone got bamboozled. 😀
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 179) : Important aspect of that call was that JPP didn’t kick the ball, it bounced off him. If he had kicked it Alberts would have had to fall back outside the 10m radius before continuing.
@Baylion (Comment 180) : It was essentially a charged down kick by JPP, as soon as a kick is immediately touched, everyone is onside, on both teams.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 181) : From The Rugby Ref re Law 11:
The second paragraph is the one we need to look at. “A player is offside if he is in front of a team-mate who last played the ball”. So when the charge-down occurs, any team mates of the charger, who were in front of him when he charged-down the ball, are offside and liable to penalty if they take part in the game.
There is a common misconception that a charge own put everyone onside, in fact it only puts all the kickers team onside. Any of the kickers team who are in front of the kicker are offside at the time of the kick, but a charge-down puts them onside.
@vanmartin (Comment 178) : ofcz
well I’m happy I was wrong I should have written off the sharks in the same manner
@Poisy (Comment 183) : Well not that far off with regards to boks. Could have gone either way. You were almost right about scotland and Aus. A game which predicted to be one sided for Australia. So not too bad you just got the winners wrong.
@coolfusion (Comment 184) : lol its like high school math I got the working right but not the answer so I get part points 😛
I see old Craig is being slated in the press for immediately leaving the field without shaking hands with the players.
So just my thoughts…Boks won which is what matters most…by 1 or 50 ina QF doesnt matter. Boks do look very unfit- which is what Meyer has said about the Bok players for a while now. All Blacks did look very good- but French also didnt offer that much fight- esp after that charge down and Michalak going off. Argies full credit for their win- those raving about Joe Schmidt the Ireland game plan was as bland as the Boks. Ozzies lucky to get the win at the end, possibly a ref error but the Scotsman also had enough time to leave he ball alone. late in the game he didnt want to give up possession and well ya. If Ozzies just remembered to defend it wouldnt have been that close. So its down to the mini Rugby Championship to decide the RWC
@SheldonK (Comment 187) : The Argies have managed to transform from a team that relied on a strong set piece and a kicking game to one that can now score tries even against a strong defense.
@SheldonK (Comment 187) : “mini rugby championship”?
No no no, we’ll refer to it as thus:
Rugby Championship – Sudden Death 😎
@Bokhoring (Comment 188) : The Argies looked like they would self implode at one point in the 2nd half. They then subbed their captain and a few other subs and they seemed to get composure back and Ireland got dominated towards the end. The Irish attack looked like the Boks did in Durban, just food for thought. @FireTheLooser (Comment 189) : Well dont we always play 2 rounds of the Rugby Championship? This years comp was just a bit delayed
@FireTheLooser (Comment 189) : I wonder if italy and scotland should make they own competition with countries like georgia and romania and maybe even the eagles of the u.s and leave the 6 nations as the 4 nations and then the top 2 teams from 4 nations and rugby champs join they top 2 and maybe japan and fiji aswell at end of the year tour in play offs like quarter finals for a world league knockout title
@Poisy (Comment 191) : That would be an exciting twist on the current EOYT. It will also go great lengths in expanding rugby to those intermediate nations.
I am constantly amazed at the lack of respect the rugby world has for Argentina,this is their second WC semi final,Ireland have never made one.
The Argies whipped the Irish arses,and I reckon they would have beaten Australia and South Africa on the day.
For a team that only recently have been included in Top competitive international rugby they punch way above their weight.
This is a country where rugby is a minor sport kinda like hockey in South Africa
@FireTheLooser (Comment 192) : exactly its about strength vs strength
4nations
England
Ireland
Wales
France
Rugby champs
New zealand
Australia
South africa
Argentina
New comp?
Italy
Scotland
Georgia
Romania
Usa
Another comp
Japan
Samoa
Fiji
Tonga
Everyone plays home and away and winner and runner up go to EOYT playoffs
Curtain raisers for each match under 20 national teams
@The hound (Comment 193) : scary to think if they took it as seriously as south africans do how strong they would be, kinda like the states.
@Poisy (Comment 195) : Reckon old Izak van Heerden must be smiling up in heaven after that game.I think these Argies could go all the way.
Argies deserve respect especially when you consider their team is dispersed fir most of the year. They don’t have curry cups and super rugby to cultivate their game at club level and build at least some forms of continuity. So congrats to them once again pulling themselves up to the big leagues.
As for Australia. The call was correct but it would have been awesome payback for what Bruce Lawrence did to us. Even if the ref just gave them scrum instead of penalty.
@coolfusion (Comment 197) : I reckon our second match in next year’s SuperWhatever is going to be tough encounter. We better not emulate the Boks at Kingspark this year.
@Bokhoring (Comment 199) : We could still play them here in the final or the losers final.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 189) : I would like to second and third that name 😎
@Poisy (Comment 194) : I like that a lot….now to get world rugby to see the $$$ in that concept of yours, and rugby will have a much needed and refreshing semi-make-over.
@The hound (Comment 193) : I spoke to an Argentinian a few years ago, apparently rugby is more a sport played by the rich over there – with soccer being the poor man’s sport.
But I have a feeling that rugby shares in Argentina would have significantly gone up over the past 12 – 15 months.
Unlike Italy in the 6 nations, the Argies have grabbed their opportunity with both hands….and they are super entertaining.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 82) : dont think lions players creativity is allowed in the bok bash game plan
@FireTheLooser (Comment 203) : I think its played at the Universitys like in Scotland,but I think in places like Tucoman its very much a farmers game.
We could do a lot worse than scout a few youngsters from there,remember what a strong son of a bitch that Mendes was a few years ago.They produce exceptional front rows,and front row coaches,Noreiaga has totally revitalised the Aussie scrum.
@The hound (Comment 205) : That fella single handedly created an Australian pack…before him, they were only interested in ways to collapse the scrum and pinning it on the opposition. 🙄
Am I crazy for thinking that the final penalty of the Aussie-Scotland game was a penalty (I was supporting Scotland but my instant reaction was penalty and I haven’t seen anything which shows that was definitely wrong) – and that the yellow card was harsh but not out of line with some of the stuff we see in Super Rugby – if you go with one hand and you don’t get it – you may have a problem…
@JR (Comment 207) : Some say the penalty was harsh. My take is that yes the scottish guy knocked it forward, if the scottish prop hadnt caught it then Aussies would have got the ball and attacking the retreating scotland in their 22m. So the prop caught the ball to prevent aussie possession therefore rightly a penalty and not just accidental. there was enough time for him to avoid catching it.
@The hound (Comment 205) : Noriega – Ledesema maybe?