Aussie v South Africa

[ozbash]

The Springboks have the pack and the Wallabies have the backs - where does that leave their Tri Nations clash in Brisbane on Saturday night?

It's a fascinating scenario as two teams with differing weapons go at it.

Australia against South Africa have often been brutal encounters in recent times and don't expect anything too different at Suncorp Stadium.

The Springboks will follow the All Blacks lead and attack the wobbly Wallabies scrum. But the Australians will play a lot smarter than they did last week against New Zealand and they have the loose forwards to help their cause. Even with limited quality first phase possession I would still expect the Wallabies to come out on top at home. They mightn't need too much ball for their backs to show their class. The Boks have shown very little in the way of attack in their first three tests this year and they won't win this match by kicking penalties.

Australia need veteran hooker Jeremy Paul to hold things together this week. By the time he entered the fray last Saturday night the Wallabies confidence, like the scrum, was shattered. But Boks captain John Smit is recognised as a top scrummager and he will be leading a South African pack full of fury. The Wallabies need "old man" Stephen Larkham to front for this game after he was completely neutralised by New Zealand. South Africa have a potential match-winner in Bryan Habana. Whether they can make enough use of the flying wing is another matter.

In 60 tests between Australia and South Africa, the Springboks hold the overall advantage of 38 wins to 21, with one drawn test in 2001. Bryan Habana scored 12 test tries in 2005 but has been a shadow of himself this year. Percy Montgomery has scored 63 points in three tests this year after scoring 158 test points last season.

Head-to-head: Australia $1.40, South Africa $2.80.


AUSTRALIA: 15-Chris Latham, 14-Mark Gerrard, 13-Stirling Mortlock, 12-Matt Giteau, 11-Lote Tuqiri; 10-Stephen Larkham, 9-George Gregan; 8-Scott Fava, 7-George Smith, 6-Rocky Elsom, 5-Dan Vickerman, 4-Nathan Sharpe, 3-Guy Shepherdson, 2-Jeremy Paul, 1-Greg Holmes. Reserves: 16-Sean Hardman, 17-Al Baxter, 18-Mark Chisholm, 19-Phil Waugh, 20-Sam Cordingley, 21-Mat Rogers, 22-Clyde Rathbone.

 

[Mal Meninga]

We should win this.... no Shalk Burger.... if we don't than we're stuffed.

 

[aussies1st]

Home ground advantage should take us home.

 

[skeepe]

Now is the time for us to put up or shut up. We've looked like world beaters against sub-standard opposition in the opening tests, just like last year, then got smacked where it really counted, again just like last year.

Having a good scrum is not vital, however as the All Blacks showed us last week a lot of confidence can come from dominating the opposition in the scrum, likewise a lot of confidence can be lost from being dominated. The Wallabies still do not have the front row to trouble the top teams, sad but true. If the ARU wasn't so short-sighted and gave Eddie Jones the scrum school he asked for 3 years ago, perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess.

This game will be won, ultimately, by the Australian backs. The South Africans far too often resort to foul play when things are not going there way, hopefully the Kiwi ref is onto them from the opening whistle.

All in all, should be a decent encounter, with 2006 Tri Nations winners Australia coming out on top.

 

[Twizzle]

we need the big fella back in our front row

 

[Scott]

Now is the time for us to put up or shut up. We've looked like world beaters against sub-standard opposition in the opening tests, just like last year, then got smacked where it really counted, again just like last year.

Having a good scrum is not vital, however as the All Blacks showed us last week a lot of confidence can come from dominating the opposition in the scrum, likewise a lot of confidence can be lost from being dominated. The Wallabies still do not have the front row to trouble the top teams, sad but true. If the ARU wasn't so short-sighted and gave Eddie Jones the scrum school he asked for 3 years ago, perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess.

This game will be won, ultimately, by the Australian backs. The South Africans far too often resort to foul play when things are not going there way, hopefully the Kiwi ref is onto them from the opening whistle.

All in all, should be a decent encounter, with 2006 Tri Nations winners Australia coming out on top.

What drugs are you on??

 

[bayrep]

........This game will be won, ultimately, by the Australian backs. ..........

lol you guys were saying this last week before the AB game. AB's carved up the Wallaby backline and except for a good showing from Latham the rest of the backline had nothing. Most of stars in the backline went into their shells.

 

[JoeD]

Head-to-head: Australia $1.40, South Africa $2.80.

those are juicy odds for SA with Australia being almost unbackable.

 

[douglasallen91]

is $8.50 for the south africans to win the tri nations juicy.

 

[Palms]

It's been a long time coming but Scott Fava has been finally picked at 8 and deservidly so! His form for the Force, ACT and Woodies over the last couple of years has been fantastic and will add some power in our forwards running game. Congrats for sticking out the Jones regime..

 

[skeepe]

[/b]


What drugs are you on??

I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was against the rules to have confidence in my own team here.

Oh forgive me, almighty pillock.

 

[Scott]

I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was against the rules to have confidence in my own team here.

Oh forgive me, almighty pillock.

:roll:

 

[ozbash]

I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was against the rules to have confidence in my own team here.

Oh forgive me, almighty pillock.

as long as the refs on your side eh skeepey :lol: :lol:

 

[skeepe]

certainly helps ozbash :lol:

Although if it's Steve Walsh, South Africa have won already. Walsh is bloody awful. He's the NZ version of Kaplan - hates Australia and will make sure they lose more often than not.

Here's hoping for Lyndon Bray

Edit: It's Honiss... not so bad then.

 

[ozbash]

walsh is a shocker, no argument there.

bray is probably our best tho i do like deeker.

bad luck about honiss :roll:

 

[Jackal Dog]

Can't wait for this one! it could honestly go either way as mentioned before the boks have the forwards but we have the backs. Looking forward to a close contest, but for mine Wallabies to win 23-19.

A lot of good exciting young talent on show but for us it has to be Matt Gituea, he has yet to justify his hefty price tag and has come out and said publicy he can breakdown the bok rush defence a good performance could hand him back that no.12 jersey permanently.

For SA Pierre Spies this kid is seriously talented weighing 100kg+ and running the 100m in under 11 seconds no wonder he has been compared to Bobby Skinstad. He was a winger until last year and has successfully made the transition to a loose forward.

 

[skeepe]

Wow. Not much more to say after that performance. Gives us plenty of hope after last week. 49-0.

 

[ozbash]

There's more than a bit of bounce yet in these Wallabies as they rebounded from their Bledisloe Cup drubbing to demolish the Springboks 49-nil in record style in the Tri Nations clash in Brisbane on Saturday night.

The win was Australia's biggest over South Africa, surpassing the 32-6 result in 1999.

It was just one point shy of South Afrca's heaviest test defeat.

The South Africans were a disgrace to the famous jersey and the Wallabies loved every minute if it, even denying the visitors a late surge for a consolation try as they blanked the Boks in embarrassing fashion.

The South Africans were punished heavily for their mistakes by a clinical Australian side. Their handling in the Queensland drizzle was appalling and their tackling not much better at times.

They continued with their ploy of using the rush defence and when they weren't being penalised for offside they were being exposed by Australia's quick hands and feet.

The Wallabies ran in three first half tries to lead 30-nil at halftime and never looked back, scoring a further three tries in the second half.

It was so one-sided it was hard to put this result into perspective against last week's Tri Nations opener where the All Blacks beat Australia 32-12.

Did the Wallabies improve that much or were the South Africans that bad? A bit of both probably. New Zealand's clash with the Boks in Wellington next Saturday might provide a better answer.

The Springboks had better turn up or they could cop more of the same and coach Jake White mightn't be too far wrong with his suggestion that he is living on borrowed time.

The first scrum of the match was a false warning for the Wallabies with No 8 Scott Fava forced to pick up under pressure on his own put-in as the Boks put in a powerful wheel.

The Boks had signalled the scrum as an area to attack after the All Blacks good work the week before. But the South Africans never managed to push home that advantage mainly because of their ineptitude across the park.

Stephen Larkham gave the South Africans a taste of their own medicine when he landed a long range dropped goal to open the scoring in the sixth minute.

The Wallabies got the first try after they were awarded a fortuitous penalty after they were under scrum pressure. Chris Latham's kick took them to the corner and from there they got a pushover try to hooker Jeremy Paul. Stirling Mortlock's conversion had the Aussies out to a 10-nil lead after 16 minutes.

A penalty added to the Boks problems and then Stephen Larkham split them wide open off a lineout win on halfway and the ball eventually came to prop Greg Holmes to finish it off with another spectacular try.

The Boks' problems intensified when Victor Matfield was sin-binned as the pressure went on again and it resulted in costing another three points, too.

Matt Giteau continued the rampage when he benefited from more weak Boks defence to celebrate his return to the starting XV with a try.

The Wallabies subbed their skipper George Gregan at halftime in his 123rd test appearance. They didn't lose much, if anything, from the introduction of Sam Cordingley at halfback.

The onslaught slowed a little after the break but the Austrlaians still dominated virtually every facet of the game.

Fullback Chris Latham got the first try of the second spell to get the Aussies going again.

Everything was bouncing the Wallabies way as Giteau found out when he pounced on a rebounded kick to notch his double.

Big lock Mark Chisholm joined the fun to score off a quick lineout throw and complete the rout.

Let's hope the All Blacks can cook up somehting similar in the Cake Tin.


Australia 49: Jeremy Paul, Greg Holmes, Matt Giteau 2, Chris Latham, Mark Chisholm tries; Stirling Mortlock 5 con, 2 pen; Stephen Larkham dg.

HT: 30-nil.

 

[aussies1st]

SA was plain shocking. Couldn't hold onto the ball or defend. Took Os De Raunt off too early which made our scrum a bit more stable. Fava at 8 seemed to work as he picked up the ball and saved as from turning the ball over.

Giteau came back with a bang, that's what we were missing when Rogers was at 12. So much for the battle between 12s, Giteau has it won already.

 

[Scott]

Well well... Australia were awesome, SA were disgraceful.

The Aust forwards were still very average at scrum time, but when thier backs play like that, they are going to be tough to beat!

It makes the July 29 game something to actually look forward to.