Boks to exit in Pool stages - Group B: Pool of death

Scotland just upped the anti, beating a relatively inexperienced French at Murrayfield. 

The Scots were reeling by half time. They gained momentum with the luck of the TMO who it a try, the same TMO disallowed Kolbe try. 

But what his has proven is that the boks pool is the pool of death. The Irish kicked off their preparations and eased passed Italy. This is by no means an easy pool and any team that makes it out still have either the French or All Blacks to face.

Based on what we’ve seen, the boks are only a poor ref call away or poor player selection from crashing out of the World Cup. 

I’m really worried that the coaches ego will take over where they think they can take out of for and injured players to this World Cup. 

I hope that they make the right decisions or it will be a very short tournament and potentially crashing out of the World Cup in the pool stages. 

What could be worse is that none of the Souther Hemisphere teams may make it to the Semis with only Australia to represent Sanzar 

Plum your concerns about cheating refs is fully justified. 

Unfortunately when Rassie or somebody else calls them out it's called whining and ends up with a ban of the person doing the calling out. 

Of course the cheating refs deniers are complicit in the cheating that goes on. 

Their favorite line when somebody complains about cheating refs causing their side to lose is because they are sore losers, crybabies etc. 

Being of a c ooked mentality themselves and having no loyalty to the Boks etc they really don't mind if we are robbed blind. 

Rooitwit is a particularly nasty wee cheating refs denier. Despite all the evidence over the years, the money involved this hapless Neanderthal insists refs don't cheat. They may cheat in other sports but never in rugby. 

Nope cheating and gross incompetence is a blight on the game and must be called out. 

The exact same TV reff that disallowed Kolbe try. 

Don't forget Grant Williams being knocked out cold by that Bargie player. Same incident with Stander knocking out Lambie which in return ended is career. 

I support then trying to stamp out foul play. I get that there are rugby incidents. I remember Zas was chasing a ball and as he was about to launch himself, slipped, slided under the catching player and that player landed really badly on his head. Zas for red carded and a 7 week match ban to to with it

 That is why I think World Rugby had ruined the game. They can't distinguish between what is accidental and what is deliberate or reckless play. 

What you end up with is a player who's career is wrecked and that player carries on. 

I remember Orie did an illegal tackle on Shickeling who broke his neck.Orie is a bok and Shickeling is not. Lost years on his career.

That is why I say we are a dodgy reff call away from crashing out.

Looking at the calibre of the competition, knowing that margins are fine and the fact that rassie might have helped the boks win the lions series bit at the same time completely destroyed the boks chances of getting a 50/50 call.

The Boks are emphatically the best beneficiaries of ref calls. The Williams incident was not as easily called as Stander's hit on Lambie. The Bok's opponents will need to ride out that 16th man. 

Haha the Williams call was the most obvious red there is.

When both players are competing for a high ball, neither of them has it in their possession ...they're competing for it.

When one of the players already has the ball there are rules as to how you can engage them...slamming the toughest part of your body into their head falls outside of those rules.

Here Williams was kicking the ball and, in another instance, he may have been passing it. The defender is attempting to gather the ball. You cannot smash a player's head after they pass a ball, so why should you be allowed to do so after they've kicked it? 

Any incident like that is a red, ALL DAY!

There always seems to be "A Pool of Death" in RWC, don't know how many, it would be interesting exercise to go back to 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015  and 2019 to see, cannot remember and how it affected an upset.

Some fans, dislike WC's , I'm opposite, I enjoy them most...the upsets and surprises are exciting.

It's good for rugby and opens up the sport.

Scotland upsetting the expected would not disarm me. I would enjoy that, but the winner is one that is overdue is France (who ironically is favourite (close to Ireland)...the Boks however or ALL Blacks can NEVER be discounted, even Pumas have an outside chance, rather like horse racing sometimes, when more second and third favourites win than 1st favourites. Even Wales could come up from behind.

Refereeing has been a controversial subject, but they are human and make mistakes. Do they cheat ?, I'm not sure but arguments on this issue, does spoil it for those who enjoy rugby for rugby's sake and not to beat each other with, if not too seriously is fun in good humour.

I've always felt for Craig Joubert, who I know was an outstanding ref and what's more a man with utmost integrity. He was an old boy at my old school and spoken by pupils, masters and rugby players of note, with the highest respect...unquestionable qualities.

What doesn't help reffing either is super slow motion replays. If you watch the boxing matches between Wilder and Tyson Fury. In normal replay you see punches land, but then you slow it down and you see how Wilder punch is rippling through Tyson Fury body fat. There is also a reason why holywood. especially action films like slow mo so much. 

On one, it is great that we have TV ref. Remember New Zealand getting knocked by what was clearly a forward pass by France. I do like that they have finally improved on that, but it has also created so many inconsistencies. 

The biggest thing is that rugby still carries the amateur values, some are good and what makes rugby, rugby. But then there is still the old mentality that doesn't gel so well. Rassie, "We want to fuck them up". How do you do that? 

Listen to Mark Andrews speak how he got fucked up in his first test match playing against the All Blacks that he thought he was going to die. Remember rucking, players would tap dance on players and the scrumhalfs were the biggest cunst. NZ were also the fiercest and dirtiest team back then. 

I'm pass those days where you have to knock someones head off. Bakkies Botha rings a bell? Also listen to Ollie Le Roux, how punches use to fly in the scrum or Matt Stevens getting stitches in the eye during the lions test, John Smit encouraging him. That wasn't that long ago. 

I believe in tackling hard and running hard, I like it when I see a player like Duanne skittle players out of the way. But what I don't like is the way that some players are taught to hit the ruck. 

I don't like the mentality that says we need to fuck them up. Scrum Hard, Run Hard, Maul Hard, Tackle hard. You can do this legally. 

Where world rugby is lacking is that it can't distinguish what it wants to hold onto and what it wants to get rid of. 

Always a knee jerk reaction. 

Just watched Scotland nearly beat a full strength French team with an amazing come from behind to only lose out by 3 points. They were down by 17 points and it almost looked impossible. 

The play such a great brand of rugby with their centres being a real threat. 

Then out wide you have two Saffa's that would have never sniffed a bok jersey due to our quota policy back home. 

Still can't believe that Duhan never got picked by Rassie. The man is a beast and should have been in the green and gold. 

But Scotland laid down a massive marker today. The beat France, even though it was their c team, but to come this close and kept going until the very end. 

Just think their skill level is a step above Rassie. With our limp pack, I don't see how we can take these guys into the gutter as Rassie likes to point out. 

What the teams have done is just send in some street cleaners and all of a sudden we've become a flat track bully. 

I do hope we see the real boks show up next weekend against Wales or I might as well were a Scottish jumper. At least 4 SA players to shout for anyway in that team. 

The Boks will demolish Wales, and probably come close against New Zealand. Read the script, you must know how it goes by now. We'll make the knockout rounds after a couple of scares and then simply be beaten by a better side, but there will be the usual set of excuses. That's the template for this campaign. 

Either France aren’t as good as they’ve been made out to be or Scotland are looking really strong but the pool of death is getting tight.

Whereas the Boks’ sights were firmly fixed on Ireland, they now have to have a peek over their shoulder on lookout for the kilt brigade too!

Fascinating stuff in the preliminary rounds to come. The Boks now need to win 5 tough matches to win the RWC and if they do, no-one can argue they had an easy run as has been suggested may times in the past.

“Many” times….

Twice, '07 & '19

I'm pissed off with the draw ............ imagine Federer .vs. Nadal in the qter-final at Wimbledon

Yes we have eon 3 RWC and always had an easy run according to some"Bok Supporters".

I would also Remo d the oaks that we have never gone into a RWC without some saying we have no chance. 

Of course winning the RWC is no given but we are in with a shout. 

I expect us to get out of the Pool stages although it could be tricky. 

Just for context, it would be the first time the boks would get knocked out in the pool stages. I think only England ever managed that if you look at the traditional power houses. 

So let’s recap our previous world cups

1995 - Won, beating, Aus, Sam, Fra and NZ

1999 - 3rd beating, Eng quarter, Losing Aus, beat NZ in 3rd place 

2003 - quarters knocked out, lost to Eng in pool, knocked out by NZ in qtr

2007 - Won, beat Eng x 2, beat Fiji in quarters, Argentina in Semifinals and then Eng, again 

2011 - Quarterfinal knockout by Aus. 

2015 - 3rd place, lost to Japan in pool, beat Wales in quarterfinals, lost to NZ in semi

2019 - won, lost to NZ, beat Japan, Wales, England 

When we faced the top 3 teams in the past we are loose in the pool or get knocked out early. NZ and Australia being the only two teams to knock us out in the semi and Eng the other to knock us out in the quarters. 

Just like 2011, the guys have become windgat, same test record as Piet Helium. Started off well and now bleeding. Stale players that should have been dropped 2 seasons ago. 

But this time, we not get out of our pool

Korn, Erasputin coached the 2011 WC team. Erasputin has a 1/2 record at World Cups. 

Correct Lemur...and we played stupid to get knocked out by Aus back in 2011...as for this year...we are surprisingly good against Scotty, even when they have a good team...I think we'll get past them, but they might be a banana peel for one of the other big teams....remember what the Japs did against them AND Ireland last time.

Can't really help that the ABs lost in the last quarters in France. We only missed playing France as a tough team back then. 

Scotland seem to fall short so many times at the final hurdle. Helped once by a SA ref. 

France were one of the three favourites for the 2007 WC, along with Ireland and New Zealand. They just didn't pitch up. Ireland as well, they flatlined all the way through, nearly losing to Georgia, and failing to exit the group. Some unexpected things are going to happen in this World Cup. I predict that Ireland won't be as imposing, and Scotland won't seal the deal. We'll be exposed for sure, but it won't bit us until the knockout stages. A potential knockout by New Zealand after the group stage. Ireland have never reached the knockout stages. This will be their last big hoodoo to break. 

Watched that game Ire versus Georgia in Bordeaux , Georgia damn nearly won it.

Georgia beat Romania on week end 56-6 although why Romania is in WRC beggars belief.

Incidentally Georgia beat Wales in Cardiff  not long ago. Georgia, could very well throw a spanner in the works.

Romania were once a very strong team. They have the potential to be a force again. One of the tragedies of how the game is run. Other teams to watch are Italy, Fiji, Tonga, Japan, and Samoa. We aren't talking about these teams, but we only need one or two upsets to dramatically change the course of the tournament. England face Argentina, Japan, and Samoa. These are all losable games right now. If that's the case, Australia could have a great run to the final. Or could it be Argentina? Tonga are not likely to beat the Boks, but they are by some margin the most physical of the Islanders; this could be a place for costly injuries. Perhaps a largely second team plays them, and an upset does happen? Can Italy shock France? They came close in the 6 Nations. Lots to consider. It isn't going to be quite what we expect. Every World Cup has had its shocks, twists, and turns. 

Well, I just look at the other two pools and you Eng, Arg, Aus and Wales who are not up to scratch at all. They are a complete joke at the moment. I wanted to tear my eyes out of boredom and frustration watching these two play. So many cards and school boy errors. 3 weeks out from the world cup, 3 have new coaches. 

At least the Bargies have beaten Aus, Eng, Wales and New Zealand and came taking SAs scalp. 

But either the Boks will get the old firm back, minimum penalties and just play a really tight game like before and we all start shutting up. 

France doesn't really seem that convincing at the moment.

Ireland was one of the favourites last time out. Beat NZ twice and were the GrandSlam title holders only to be knocked out by Scotland and Japan in the pool stages. 

I do really hope we can deny Ireland again and would love to see the Scots knock them out

The old form back? Are you referring to 2015? We are only a little bit different from the last five years. The differences are worse set pieces, and even more vulnerable defence. However, we do have the ref on our side. I think that's going to be a useful factor to get us through the group stages. Our opponents are overwhelmingly more penalised than us. In fact, were reffing even moderately more balanced, we lose the Lions series, we lose an a Wallaby test in 2021, we lose the NZ test we won, we lose to Argentina the same year, and lose to Wales. That's how heavily reffing has been in our favour! It won't take much to shut up the casuals. It only takes one journalist to say something positive an mass amnesia ensues. 

Harrassmiss’ Boks are 59% excluding the WC year….abysmal. So what’s real 2019 or the 4 other years? If you were a gambler betting on the Boks, you are betting on the 6 coming up again. 

At this stage Coetzee looks great!!! 

So many dumb game thrown away against Wales and Argentina. We should never lost to that Australia team. NZ have beaten them with ease 9/10 times. Can't remember when last Australia actually won. 

Rassie just can't get any consistency. We even loss a game in the World Cup. Playing fine margins, never convincing wins. 

I said this many times before, I'll start believing in Rassie when he stops cheapening the bok jersey for trial games. 

Every fan wants to see a perfect year. 

That team of Mallet, 17 games unbeaten. Even Pieter DE Villiers came close and so did Meyer. Only losing to NZ. 

Again, politics, quotas and Rassie being spineless and trying to pull wool over that everything is great. 

He got a nice 8 year contract. No worries and set up for retirement 

He is the director of Rugby by title. 

Why is he not looking after our age group players. Where are all the A games and SA 15. 

Had anyone ever tried to put together an All Star African team. Tambe, the Tsuki brothers, Rhule etc. Just call them black stars or something. 

New Zealand has the Maoris 

But yet, Rassie pops up at all the matches, all the training, even being a water boy and his puppets to do his bidding. He is driving the boks into the ground. 

A real coach will call bullshit on poor players like Orie and not hype up through the media. We are not blind. 

Who should have gotten Robertson an foreign coach won't be BIAS. He would pick the best players. 

How many Maoris were in the Crusaders team. So you can't call a foreign coach racist. 

It would be the most fair selection to date.  

Needs these tricks from Rassie 

Liberals have this knack.

Had anyone ever tried to put together an All Star African team. Tambe, the Tsuki brothers, Rhule etc. Just call them black stars or something. 

New Zealand has the Maoris

Brilliant. What an inversion.

Who should have gotten Robertson an foreign coach won't be BIAS. He would pick the best players. 

How many Maoris were in the Crusaders team. So you can't call a foreign coach racist.

On what ground.

There never had, never will something worthy to be called SA rugby in SA. The ship sailed away long ago.

What could be is an alien entity that has no root, no mind, no soul. That is the only thing that may be.