Springboks vs England, squad announcements and matchday thread.

[Biltong]

First topic message reminder :

I will update as more information is released.

Springbok team announced for the first test vs England.

15 Zane Kirchner, caps 14
14 JP Pietersen, caps 42
13 Jean de Villiers (captain), caps 72
12 Frans Steyn, caps 47
11 Bryan Habana, caps 74
10 Morné Steyn, caps 34
9 Francois Hougaard, caps 15
8 Pierre Spies, caps 47
7 Willem Alberts, caps 9
6 Marcell Coetzee, caps 0
5 Juandré Kruger, caps 0
4 Eben Etzebeth, caps 0
3 Jannie du Plessis, caps 30
2 Bismarck du Plessis, caps 42
1 Beast Mtawarira, caps 32

Replacements:
16 Adriaan Strauss, caps 9
17 Coenie Oosthuizen, caps 0
18 Flip van der Merwe, caps 11
19 Keegan Daniel, caps 1
20 Ruan Pienaar, caps 51
21 Pat Lambie, caps 11
22 Wynand Olivier, caps 34

I am surprised and happy to see Eben etzebeth in the starting XV and Strauss on the bench, Meyer has gone for a 4-3 split on the bench which is interesting. The pack has 160 combined caps with 4 debutants, the back line has a combined cap of 302 caps.

I am actually rather impressed with Meyer's selections. The English may see this pack as vulnerable and inexperienced, but I think it is a rather exciting pack. full of mobility and physicality.

England Team:

15 Mike Brown, caps 3
14 Chris Ashton, caps 23
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi, caps 10
12 Brad Barritt, caps 5
11 Ben Foden, caps 26
10 Owen Farrell, caps 5
9 Ben Youngs, caps 17
8 Ben Morgan, caps 5
7 Chris Robshaw (C), caps 6
6 Tom Johnson, 0 caps
5 Geoff Parling, 2 caps
4 Mouritz Botha, 6 caps
3 Dan Cole, 25 caps
2 Dylan Hartley, 34 caps
1 Joe Marler, 0 caps


Replacements:
16 Lee Mears, 38 caps
17 Paul Doran Jones, 3 caps
18 Tom Palmer, 37 caps
19 Phil Dowson, 5 caps
20 Lee Dickson, 0 caps
21 Toby Flood, 46 caps
22 Jonathan Joseph, 0 caps

[captainrapido]

what the hell was that from farrell?

Fear that quote is going to crop up a fair bit..

[rodders]

Farrell having a shocker.

[nathan]

Why England's back line have no shape? They just group around the back of a ruck like young children rugby then pass the ball pointless to each other behind the gaining line and shuffle sideways then kick it away.

It's awful.

Careful GG, your letting slip your hatred towards all things english!

[yappysnap]

Flood needed to start this match, now SL has a big call to make to trust in Flood and get him on pronto. We're all watching Stu...

[yappysnap]

Walsh is crazy, he just has no control over this match!

[yappysnap]

Good work on the ground there by Eng and brilliant tackling from the pack and Manu!

[captainrapido]

Hit from Farrell..

[EnglishReign]

As silly as that early hit from England is, why does Walsh take forever to say engage?

[rodders]

thank flip I'm neutral here, yer man Walsh is a nutter....

[Rory_Gallagher]

SA should have scored there. They have a pretty poor offloading game after witnessing that. Spies has no rugby brain IMO.

[wales606]

Habana looks deadly, SA winning the kicking game.

Winning the scrums too.

[niwatts]

Just in case anyone had any doubts, this match isn't going to be pretty!

[ChequeredJersey]

what the hell was that from farrell?

Fear that quote is going to crop up a fair bit..

Might just save it to Ctrl-C to save time

[captainrapido]

Anyone see the slightly limp wrist from Walsh after that telling off? This is theatre! What a luvvie.

[anotherworldofpain]

Both teams so narrow! Why someone not put the wide on the game?

[yappysnap]

Robshaw gets the pen, he is def growing in to the role

[Biltong]

Two things about the SA attacking rucks, we don't put enough men into the ruck, but England is offside at every ruck

[maestegmafia]

Good game so far...!

Some great turn overs by England. Do think if they had flood at flyhalf they would be doing better though

[nathan]

why is it every pass to manu is either behind him!

[EnglishReign]

Same old Saffers

[yappysnap]

Morgan you legend!

[yappysnap]

6-3 yo England

[mystiroakey]

morgan is class- starting to boss this saffas..

[ChequeredJersey]

Both teams so narrow! Why someone not put the wide on the game?

Because Morne and Farrell like to kick before they pass, and all 4 centres like to take the ball on themselves. Could do with Robshaw playing linkman like he did in the AP final

[Cari]

Woah! This lineout's taking forever!

[ChequeredJersey]

Walsh doesn't think there is such a thing as offside in rucks

[Rory_Gallagher]

Yeah what the crap is going on at the breakdown here? Nobody is onside!

[anotherworldofpain]

Walsh is very strict about the ruck actually. His interpretation is you must enter the ruck from outside the ruck.

[ChequeredJersey]

That's the Ashton I want to see. Except the knock-on, that was Poopie mushrooms

[captainrapido]

Did I just spot some rugby being played?

[mystiroakey]

ohhh ashton. good effort

[maestegmafia]

Habana off...!

[ChequeredJersey]

We can't out-Morne Morne so why are we trying?

[ChequeredJersey]

Brown and Foden are class

[anotherworldofpain]

We can't out-Morne Morne so why are we trying?

Lacking any other idea it seem like.

[wales606]

I think they should have put Peinaar on, and moved Hougaard onto the wing to keep the pace.

[mystiroakey]

dont wanna put the mockers on it- but england look the better team here

playing some nice stuff. need to get that try in tho!

[wales606]

Stupid caterpillar.

[captainrapido]

Human Centipede!

[anotherworldofpain]

Yeah class from Brown. Run back 10 meteres then kicking out on the full and fall over...

[yappysnap]

Barnes is such a Muppet

[wales606]

Human Centipede!

Where!? ...oh I see.

[nathan]

why are we just kicking it back..

[ChequeredJersey]

Yeah may not have been the best time to post that...

[ChequeredJersey]

Robshaw is definitely growing as a 7

[wales606]

Robshaw is definitely growing as a 7

Yep, he is playing very well today.

[yappysnap]

Nice bit of play by England.

Need more Quins players on this team

[nathan]

eh, his own support players dropped him

[yappysnap]

Robshaw has always been this good. The difference is that finally England have other dynamic and powerrful forwards to compliment him

[yappysnap]

Knock on completely missed by the officials.

Walsh is so poor

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