Scotland v South Africa, 3 October

IanBru wrote:Screaming, it's a fair question, but as the English-born son of Scottish parents, I would never have considered playing for anyone other than Scotland (my test career being cruelly cut short by a noticeable lack of bulk, speed, handling, bravery, talent, and skill).

Yet, I would have been considered 'foreign born'. I have a lot of time for anyone willing to pull on the dark blue, particularly with metropolitan hacks constantly waiting in the wings to second-guess their motivation.

Riskysports wrote:URGENT

My Missies is very ill (not life threatening) but means I can not make the game

Does anyone want 2 tickets for the match - face value (plus posting)

Cat C  - £85

Need to know asap - as would prefer to sell them to someone here - for face value than someone else

Thanks

Second Ranker wrote:

Riskysports wrote:URGENT

My Missies is very ill (not life threatening) but means I can not make the game

Does anyone want 2 tickets for the match - face value (plus posting)

Cat C  - £85

Need to know asap - as would prefer to sell them to someone here - for face value than someone else

Thanks

Do you still have the tickets Risky?

I would be more than happy to take them both of your hands if they are still free?

funnyExiledScot wrote:

screamingaddabs wrote:What do the Scottish fans on here think about the number of foreign born starters in your team this weekend?  Your whole back row is foreign born.  Not trying to start a fight here, just wondering, as I dislike when players like Flutey were picked for England.

Love it. The more the merrier. I've lived in Scotland half my life, and don't like 45% of the voters in my country, so more than happy to have some "good immigration".

TheMildlyFranticLlama wrote:

IanBru wrote:Screaming, it's a fair question, but as the English-born son of Scottish parents, I would never have considered playing for anyone other than Scotland (my test career being cruelly cut short by a noticeable lack of bulk, speed, handling, bravery, talent, and skill).

Yet, I would have been considered 'foreign born'. I have a lot of time for anyone willing to pull on the dark blue, particularly with metropolitan hacks constantly waiting in the wings to second-guess their motivation.

Being from a military family I was also born in England to a totally Scottish family. I've never considered myself anything other than totally Scottish, and had I been blessed with the ability to maintain a bodyweight of more than about 4 stone and a bit less of a liking for binge drinking then my test career could also have taken off in the blue jersey.

I fully agree that it is all too easy to criticise people as being foreign imports and journeymen without having the slightest understanding of what their view of their own nationality is.

EDIT: This almost comes across as if I believe I have some sort of ability on the rugby field. I would like to comprehensively state that this is untrue, as proven by many years spent on said field.

Scotsman wrote:There is a photograph somewhere with Scotland flanker Josh Strauss sitting on a bench right next to the South African coach Heyneke Meyer. It was taken a little over three years ago when the bearded one was part of a wider Springboks training squad. He failed to make the cut and, shortly after, moved to Glasgow to throw in his lot with Scotland.

Strauss denies that being rejected by the Boks caused him to jump ship. He might even be telling the truth because the South African club that he captained, the Golden Lions, lost their Super Rugby franchise that season and he was left scratching around for a new start in life. He got one.

Now decked in the blue of Scotland with a huge game against the land of his birth looming, what competing emotions are cavorting about his brain right now?

“I haven’t thought about the emotions,” Strauss insists. “It’ll be no different than playing any other game. I was far more emotional playing my first Test. I haven’t thought too much about it but I don’t see it being any different than just playing in a very big game.

“It won’t be any different other than playing one of the best teams in the world. That’s what they are and they’ve been there for all of those years so it’s a massive match.

“Everything in life happens for a reason, I’m a firm believer in that. I’ve loved my time in Scotland and everyone has been great. I’ve been really proud of the things I’ve achieved and I wouldn’t wish it any other way.”

It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

He certainly does not look like a man who harbours too many regrets about the decision to move halfway around the world, even if Glasgow’s renown as a centre of rugby excellence is a work in progress.

“When I came to Glasgow, the rugby side was quite small,” says that man who helped the Warriors lift the Pro12 title last season. “People would ask me: ‘Where are you from, why are you here?’

“That has changed in the last couple of years. Now I get people stopping me in the streets, people saying congratulations, stopping me in shops. It’s tough to compare the rugby cultures of two very different nations. But it is getting there in Glasgow and Scotland.”

He didn’t play with any of the Springboks squad while in South Africa but Strauss banged heads against a good few of them and it turns out that Schalk Burger was a friend of a friend so the two blindside breakaways, who go head to head tomorrow, are pretty pally off the field.

“We’ve obviously played against each other quite a few times and been to different functions, things like that,” says Strauss. “Schalk is a great guy and he actually went to school with my cousin, so I got to know him quite well over the years. He is always very warm and welcoming. Whenever we played down in Cape Town, he always went out of his way to make sure I felt comfortable, came and had a chat. I don’t think he will be doing that on Saturday, nice guy or not!”

While you might not agree with World Rugby’s three-year residency rule, which will almost certainly be reviewed after this tournament is done and dusted, all the talk of nations and nationality hides one important truth: players play for each other every bit as much as taking up arms for their nation, wife or sweetheart, as Strauss confirms.

“I think it’s probably said a lot, to the extent that it’s devalued, but you become really close to the guys you play with. And although it sounds a bit of a cliché to say they become your family, that is the case.

“We’re together for massive chunks of time and, especially in a tournament like this, you are in a confined space for four weeks. There is almost never any friction, everyone gets along well.

“You play for the guy next to you. I can’t compare it to going to war but, I mean, you are all soldiers in a way. So you play for each other because you are brothers in arms.”

Which is why the Afrikaans-speaking South African Josh Strauss, turning out against the land of his birth and upbringing, will be putting heart, body and soul into 
Scotland’s cause tomorrow afternoon.

cp10 wrote:According to "hack" David Ferguson John Hardie has been cleared of concussion.

http://www.fergusonmedia.co.uk/?p=813

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

Biltong wrote:

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

It is statements like these that really p.i.s.s.e.s me off.

WTF does that even mean?

Does this journalist know Johannesburg hasn't been "white" for two F ..ing decades. Why doesn't he just say what he means? If he wants to call us Racist bible bashers, then why hold back?

Anyway rant over.

I have a new philosophy about foreign born players in other teams. If you want to plow with another man's cows, it is your decision.  As long as I can identify with the Springboks and they can become a "barbarian" like team, I will support them.

As for the three year residency rule, the grandparent rule, "I knew your great grandfather" rule.

Who cares?

Why change it now, it is working absolutely swimmingly.

Biltong wrote:

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

It is statements like these that really p.i.s.s.e.s me off.

Manky-Flanker wrote:

Biltong wrote:

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

It is statements like these that really p.i.s.s.e.s me off.

+1, Agreed

Biltong wrote:

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

It is statements like these that really p.i.s.s.e.s me off.

WTF does that even mean?

Does this journalist know Johannesburg hasn't been "white" for two F ..ing decades. Why doesn't he just say what he means? If he wants to call us Racist bible bashers, then why hold back?

Anyway rant over.

I have a new philosophy about foreign born players in other teams. If you want to plow with another man's cows, it is your decision.  As long as I can identify with the Springboks and they don't become a "barbarian" like team, I will support them.

As for the three year residency rule, the grandparent rule, "I knew your great grandfather" rule.

Who cares?

Why change it now, it is working absolutely swimmingly.

Biltong wrote:

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

It is statements like these that really p.i.s.s.e.s me off.

WTF does that even mean?

Does this journalist know Johannesburg hasn't been "white" for two F ..ing decades.

Anyway rant over.

I have a new philosophy about foreign born players in other teams. If you want to plow with another man's cows, it is your decision.  As long as I can identify with the Springboks and they can become a "barbarian" like team, I will support them.

As for the three year residency rule, the grandparent rule, "I knew your great grandfather" rule.

Who cares?

Why change it now, it is working absolutely swimmingly.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

Manky-Flanker wrote:

Biltong wrote:

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

It is statements like these that really p.i.s.s.e.s me off.

+1, Agreed

The Scotsman has pretty decent rugby coverage but their journalism can be a bit sloppy at times, take no offence guys  

Manky-Flanker wrote:

Biltong wrote:

journalist wrote:It is difficult to imagine two cultures with less in common than white Johannesburg and Glasgow but then again Strauss never was your typical South African. Rather than a Bible bashing Christian he would rather thrash his guitar in a jam session, specialising in music he describes as “punk and metal”. Ahead of this World Cup he was asked the best thing about Glasgow and his reply, “the banter”, suggests that he has thrown himself into life in his adopted homeland with something like relish.

It is statements like these that really p.i.s.s.e.s me off.

+1, Agreed

Biltong wrote:I do hope our bible bashing Boks read that article, I know it will add a few notches to my motivation come tomorrow

funnyExiledScot wrote:The "Bible bashing" comment is odd as well. Glasgow doesn't have any issues with religion. None whatsoever.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Biltong wrote:I do hope our bible bashing Boks read that article, I know it will add a few notches to my motivation come tomorrow

I think you’re getting a bit carried away here Biltong – as I said he is a poor journalist and I’d be surprised if he meant anything by it.

As for your idea of using it as motivation, if it had come from the Scotland camp then fair enough, but it is probably fair to say that a lazy comment from a poor journalist who has absolutely nothing to do with the Scotland team does not reflect the opinion of the Scotland camp!


Chill out and have a beer!

funnyExiledScot wrote:The "Bible bashing" comment is odd as well. Glasgow doesn't have any issues with religion. None whatsoever.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Biltong wrote:I do hope our bible bashing Boks read that article, I know it will add a few notches to my motivation come tomorrow

I think you’re getting a bit carried away here Biltong – as I said he is a poor journalist and I’d be surprised if he meant anything by it.

As for your idea of using it as motivation, if it had come from the Scotland camp then fair enough, but it is probably fair to say that a lazy comment from a poor journalist who has absolutely nothing to do with the Scotland team does not reflect the opinion of the Scotland camp!


Chill out and have a beer!

funnyExiledScot wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Biltong wrote:I do hope our bible bashing Boks read that article, I know it will add a few notches to my motivation come tomorrow

I think you’re getting a bit carried away here Biltong – as I said he is a poor journalist and I’d be surprised if he meant anything by it.

As for your idea of using it as motivation, if it had come from the Scotland camp then fair enough, but it is probably fair to say that a lazy comment from a poor journalist who has absolutely nothing to do with the Scotland team does not reflect the opinion of the Scotland camp!


Chill out and have a beer!

The Boks aren't short of motivation. They should just watch the Japan video again.

Biltong wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Biltong wrote:I do hope our bible bashing Boks read that article, I know it will add a few notches to my motivation come tomorrow

I think you’re getting a bit carried away here Biltong – as I said he is a poor journalist and I’d be surprised if he meant anything by it.

As for your idea of using it as motivation, if it had come from the Scotland camp then fair enough, but it is probably fair to say that a lazy comment from a poor journalist who has absolutely nothing to do with the Scotland team does not reflect the opinion of the Scotland camp!


Chill out and have a beer!

The Boks aren't short of motivation. They should just watch the Japan video again.

They had memory chips implanted into the frontal lobes so they can replay the Japan match at any point. Even on field.

fa0019 wrote:I tell you one thing though. I would hate to be WP Nel or Josh Strauss in the first 10 mins of the game.

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:

fa0019 wrote:I tell you one thing though. I would hate to be WP Nel or Josh Strauss in the first 10 mins of the game.

I'm sure they'll be just fine.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:

fa0019 wrote:I tell you one thing though. I would hate to be WP Nel or Josh Strauss in the first 10 mins of the game.

I'm sure they'll be just fine.

Agree - if the Boks are wasting time and energy trying to single out "Jock Boks" for special treatment then that's an early advantage to Scotland. It won't happen though. Sadly for us every ounce of complacency has been surgically removed from the Boks by Japan. We'd have been far better off if the Boks had stuffed Japan by 80 points.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

Biltong wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Biltong wrote:I do hope our bible bashing Boks read that article, I know it will add a few notches to my motivation come tomorrow

I think you’re getting a bit carried away here Biltong – as I said he is a poor journalist and I’d be surprised if he meant anything by it.

As for your idea of using it as motivation, if it had come from the Scotland camp then fair enough, but it is probably fair to say that a lazy comment from a poor journalist who has absolutely nothing to do with the Scotland team does not reflect the opinion of the Scotland camp!


Chill out and have a beer!

The Boks aren't short of motivation. They should just watch the Japan video again.

They had memory chips implanted into the frontal lobes so they can replay the Japan match at any point. Even on field.

For all that's been written about the Boks, I still think you'll win your last two games and top the Group, probably going on to face Wales in the next round. I also think you'll have enough to beat Wales. I then think you'll lose to NZ in the SF. When all is said and done, I suspect the Boks will end up very much where you would have expected to be, albeit with a bumpier road to get there.

The other silver lining is the experience your younger players will get from this WC, particularly the backs. You'll be far less a team in transition for the next one.

RDW_Scotland wrote:What are people’s thoughts on SA changing all their lineout codes on Monday to counteract Nel and Strauss’ knowledge of them? It has been joked about, but surely that could be a weak point for SA?

Let’s face it, forwards aren’t the brightest, and 5 days to learn entirely new line out calls could mean that there will be mix ups on the day.

I do hope so!

RDW_Scotland wrote:What are people’s thoughts on SA changing all their lineout codes on Monday to counteract Nel and Strauss’ knowledge of them? It has been joked about, but surely that could be a weak point for SA?

Let’s face it, forwards aren’t the brightest, and 5 days to learn entirely new line out calls could mean that there will be mix ups on the day.

I do hope so!

Biltong wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:What are people’s thoughts on SA changing all their lineout codes on Monday to counteract Nel and Strauss’ knowledge of them? It has been joked about, but surely that could be a weak point for SA?

Let’s face it, forwards aren’t the brightest, and 5 days to learn entirely new line out calls could mean that there will be mix ups on the day.

I do hope so!

I doubt anything will change, SA teams play eaxh other all the time, they speak afrikaans or english, it does not matter, a code is a code no matter the language.

Unless of course Strauss smuggles in an Enigma machine from the second world war

funnyExiledScot wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:What are people’s thoughts on SA changing all their lineout codes on Monday to counteract Nel and Strauss’ knowledge of them? It has been joked about, but surely that could be a weak point for SA?

Let’s face it, forwards aren’t the brightest, and 5 days to learn entirely new line out calls could mean that there will be mix ups on the day.

I do hope so!

I assumed they were joking!! Nel and Strauss haven't been involved in SA rugby for 3 years. I find it difficult to believe that SA haven't changed their lineout calls in that time, otherwise everyone would have cracked them.

A bit of a non-story. Our lineout is utter mince anyway, and if we get too excited about throwing players in the air to challenge, we'll probably end up being mauled to death (we're rubbish at defending those as well).

I see the lineout and rolling mauls as one area where South Africa hold all the cards.

fa0019 wrote:

Biltong wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:What are people’s thoughts on SA changing all their lineout codes on Monday to counteract Nel and Strauss’ knowledge of them? It has been joked about, but surely that could be a weak point for SA?

Let’s face it, forwards aren’t the brightest, and 5 days to learn entirely new line out calls could mean that there will be mix ups on the day.

I do hope so!

I doubt anything will change, SA teams play eaxh other all the time, they speak afrikaans or english, it does not matter, a code is a code no matter the language.

Unless of course Strauss smuggles in an Enigma machine from the second world war

Nel and Strauss were never in the bok camp. Never played with the bulls where the codes probably originated.

Would just be like domestic bokke rugby. Nothing to worrying about more than usual.

BBC Sport wrote:The tight-head prop, with 66 caps packed into his near-33 years, bows his head and laughs.

"It was Monday. Black Monday," he explains.

"Our forwards coach came in and said, 'OK, on the weekend Scotland will have Josh Strauss and WP Nel in their team. We respect them as rugby players and we respect their ability to understand line-out calls in Afrikaans. So we're changing our calls.'

"We said, 'What? All of them?' Our coach said, 'Yes, every one. We start today.' There was more than one sigh of frustration in that room, I can tell you. We were saying, 'No! How am I going to learn all of this in a week!' Maybe it's a blessing. We made so many mistakes with the old ones. Maybe we needed to change anyway."

Riskysports wrote:Good news all - Misses is on the mend - and avoided surgery - still missing the game live, but at least she will be at home beside me to watch Scotland win

Sorry for those who wanted the tickets - ended up a - first to the posst type thing

If only she was ill earlier could have made a fortune on the site Stub HUb :-)

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

Riskysports wrote:Good news all - Misses is on the mend - and avoided surgery - still missing the game live, but at least she will be at home beside me to watch Scotland win

Sorry for those who wanted the tickets - ended up a - first to the posst type thing

If only she was ill earlier could have made a fortune on the site Stub HUb :-)

good to hear mate