And so to the second Test of the series, with the Lions in pole position at 1-0 up, having won both the rugby and reffing in round one. Rassie’s upped the ante this week and lurched uncontrollably into orbit, giving the tourists the moral high ground too. Is Rassie trying a Mourinho by taking all the focus off the players and onto his mighty shoulders, or has he simply blown a fuse and doesn’t know how to stop? I have no idea, haven’t watched the interviews and don’t really care for social media, evil that it is, he writes for a blog. To the rugby.
Wags is clearly expecting the Boks to not only throw the kitchen sink at his side this week, but possibly also the bath (whether or not there’s water or a baby in it), the TV (not ones looted in Durban) and the canape tray emptied in a single mouthful by Frans Malherbe. He’s beefed up his pack with Mako Vunipola starting, and Faletau on the bench, to the surprise of some although he’ll know what his Welsh blokes can do against the Boks better than anyone. In the backs, Connor Murray is there is to out box-kick the Boks and give McDuhan and Co lots to chase, whilst Harris is in to provide more steel in the midfield. It’s a side picked to keep parity early and ease away later.
The Boks have gone for a couple of changes too, with Ox Nche out injured, but surprisingly starting with Malherbe who looked anything but the cornerstone of the scrum last week. Looked a bit more like a Krispy Kreme donut to be honest. So the ‘Bomb Squad’ props start the match, Jasper Wiese comes in at number 8 to add more ballast to the scrum and aerial power for the restarts where Kwagga Smith was found wanting last week, as well as grunt going forward. It’s not a mobile pack by any stretch, but one designed for a single purpose: Searching, seek and destroy! With Metallica’s backing, what could go wrong?
The bench offers more mobility with Smith now on the pine and Marco van Staden in for the overhyped Elstadt and includes Big Trev, who looked good last week, Vincent Koch who knows his stuff and Marx, still a great poacher, defender and ballcarrier. The starting backs remain the same, with the only change being Elton Jantjies out of the 23 in favour of the extra forward. Willemse thus covers everything outside of 9 off the pine.
Gatland has picked a side to combat this, whilst Nienaber has picked a side to combat Gats’ combat and do what the Boks did well in the first 40 last week, but for longer this week or to get even further ahead in the first 40. It’s Combat Rock, kids! You’ll have to Know your Rights, or go Straight to Hell.
Simple plan. But there is still a disjointed feeling about the Boks. The blocks (and Boks) are not quite in place, the kicking game is metronomic, predictable and limited and requires absolute accuracy to be effective over 80 minutes. There was no real dominance up front last week and as the match wore on, the Boks were on the back foot. Having picked a pack to pulverise as his opening gambit, it’s highly unlikely Kolbe and Mapimpi will see any ball down the line in the first half at least. Hell, de Allende and Am will be lucky to see anything other than turnover ball or kick returns. So, who’ll win? If the Boks get that first half ascendancy and a big enough lead, or are able to use a more mobile pack in the second half to stop the Lions getting good momentum, they can turn the tables and sneak a tight win of their own this week. If The Lions start better than last week and have parity or thereabouts at the change – or even lead the match – they’ll be difficult to stop and will seal the series. Either way, one set of players will be heroes come tomorrow evening, keeping the series alive or winning it with two from two. Sadly, I think it’ll be the Lions by about 4 points and series over.
Lyrics by Deebee7
Onna telly this week
Saturday 31st July
| South Africa v B&I Lions | 17:00 | Sky Sports Main Event |
Ovally Balls 
#poppunksnotdead
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#poppunk. dead snot.
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Deebs – Snot were a nu metal band. Similarities to Rage Against the Machine are entirely incidental.
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Figured you’d like the dog.
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Just watched Squidge’s latest video. His comment about All Black’s and women made me spit my coffee back into my mug.
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No Barretts in the run-on XV. 100th cap for Aaron Smith.
All Blacks – 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 David Havili, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akiro Ioane, 5 Sam Whitelock (c), 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower.
Subs: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 Brad Weber, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Jordie Barrett.
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Retallick and Whitelock seem to have been there for ever
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that’s a decently barrett-stocked bench though. Just one more needed to make it 50%
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Jimmy Anderson on a hat trick! Kohli gone first ball!
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What I took from that video is that:
Murray kicked slowly and generally poorly which gave the boks much more time and opportunity to establish their own kicking game, plus his blocking lines for kick reception were no where near the quality of prime irritant [1] Faf’s
The bok kicking game was far better and more accurate, the lions back 3 didn’t get any protection which meant they were contesting nearly every time and when they did manage a catch the follow up was good so they’d get pummelled a turnover was often the result
kind of my impression from watching the match. The back 3 struggles were a result of good bok play combined with poor protection and comprehensively losing the kicking game. Bit harsh for them to solely carry the can.
First bok try was nice & best bit of play all game.
Can Reinach replicate FDK’s kicking game? if not, although he has other strengths may not be so dominant in this area.
[1] high praise for a scrum half
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Sends the HT ball down the leg side.
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India 15/3 since lunch with a needless run out of Rahane.
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Chimpie – the Lions also needed Joe Marler to tell the Sprinboks how fucking boring they are.
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On the try count we’re three times more exciting than the combined excellence of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales so far. Although in 1997 we outscored the Lions 9-3 on the try count and still lost the series. But I think we all agreed it’s the tries that count, so the Lions will have to score three more than us on Saturday to win the series.
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Piece of piss
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Pffft
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That was a Deebee-directed pffft
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although craigs probably deserves a pfft for something.
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Only one thing?
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‘something’ doesn’t preclude other things
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“something”= being
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….still, better to be talked about than not at all (as someone once may have said)
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Was that from Bojo’s acceptance speech?
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Something and nothingness?
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I am the Something in the Never Ending Story.
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Alexei Sayle talks rugby (league mostly) with Tony Collins:
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Quade officially Australian.
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That’ll make a lot of Kiwis happy.
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Chimpie – watch out! You may be next:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/06/owner-of-condemned-alpaca-geronimo-makes-last-ditch-appeal-to-minister
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Thauma, meet mail, mail meet Thauma.
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Thaum, I did a mail too.
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Have I wasted my time? Sad face
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Who you calling sad face, McGrumpy?
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I’ve done lots of emails. Do I get a prize?
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No, Llama. Why the long face etc?
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Pugs have sad faces. That’s my analysis.
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But short faces too. Further wisdom is forthcoming.
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Bumper new post shortly!
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It’s here.
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