Getting AMPED!!!!

For some reason, I keep looking at the side we selected and, perhaps it's because I'm bored out of my skull this week, but I'm getting to levels of excitement for this game that no "friendly" or dead rubber generally causes.

I would have loved to see Snyman start with Eben. That's my one gripe. 

With the side we selected, Snyman fits in perfectly as a starter and we could have brought Mostert on for the last 30 and told Snyman to go high balls to the wall(I see you Moz).

It may blow up in our faces, but I have a strong feeling that it won't. 

There's every reason for both sides to play with freedom as there is nothing on the line...which is hardly ever the case when we play the Abs.

They're gonna play as they always do but I think we're gonna give them zero respect and just go for it, which we never do and which is what we should do every single time as far as I'm concerned. Easy for me to say, I know. 

Above all, I'm hoping that AE demolishes the AB midfield and that Moodie stylishly runs in a few scores in off his shoulder. Those bullet-like passes from Maanie should set AE up nicely...here's hoping.

Let's also pray no stupid cards ruin the game and that the ref lets the boys run.

There is no better game than rugby. Fact!

Bonus...here's what Chat GPT thinks of having an attacking mindset in rugby...and what I'm hoping for tomorrow.

"Rather than relinquishing possession through aimless kicks, an aggressive attacking mindset enables a team to dictate the flow of the game. By relentlessly pressing forward, teams maintain control of the ball, put the opposition on the back foot, and continuously threaten to breach the defensive line. This not only keeps the scoreboard ticking in their favor but also compels the opposing team to defend rigorously, which, in turn, leads to fatigue, mistakes, and ultimately, a strategic advantage. In rugby, a potent attack isn't just a means of scoring points; it's a comprehensive strategy that leverages possession and pressure to secure victory."

A good piece of info from Chat Gpt Plum, I can't disagree with the logic and for sure the ABs are implementing game plans that do this. Problem is, so are others

As part of getting AMPED, here's a link to an article saying the Boks have a home field advantage it's a marginal advantage.

Boks have a home field advantage

Dr Win don't put too much emphasis on this psyche, the better playing side will win, even if it's a Just Win.

It's not called getting amped. It's called nostalgia. Memories are flooding back, of when the All Blacks where the benchmark, and the fixture needed no occasion. 

Vivek Ramaswamy  a Republican presidential candidate was accused of sounding like ChatGTP when answering a question in the first debate last night. It’s everywhere and as one sees more responses there is a sort of ChatGTP style….perhaps a bit more work is needed.

"The All Blacks have received an early World Cup advantage after winning the right to wear their famous black jersey in the four pool games, including the crunch first match against France at the Stade de France."

Good news! Not that I'm superstitious

Dr Win , by the way, if you forgive the diversion;

 what's your take on international feeling and foresight, you being a diplomat at one time in Poland and family in Ufa, (Bashkortostan)???

Ja... interested in your link there Plum... are you using NumP y? 

Haven't used Python in ages. It's such a versatile and powerful language. 

Adding to thebuild up on this game, here are some exerts from a Roar article evaluating the weaknesses of RWC teams (the ABs and the Boks).

All Blacks

The weakest links in the strongest team are hard to find, but they are likely on the wing and the bench. (I don't see our wings as a weakness at all, the bench may not be as strong as the Boks, we will see).

Aaron Smith has outlasted all his understudies of yore and now is backed up by two relatively untested nines. Barely-capped Cam Roigard looks every bit the long-time successor but maybe not yet? Thus, if anything trips up the 118-cap legend, or he just wears down from attending a hundred rucks of less than two second duration, Scottish-born Finlay Christie will wear the heavy crown of All Black nine. He has not seemed ready each time he was called upon and no other misplayed position can cause a team more grief. (We are a bit thin behind Smith, it's a bit of fingers crossed if he goes down)

The weakest forward position is still six, even if Shannon Frizell had appeared to be the answer to Jerome Kaino’s question, because he has not stayed healthy, because Dalton Papali’i and Luke Jacobson do not play as big, and Scott Barrett appears to be shifted to lock again. But this is splitting hairs: most teams would love to have these choices. (6 has been a concern for sometime but Fizell showed he can do it, we will have to see if Jacobson can match Frizell if he goes down).

Weaknesses of the Boks

How odd is it that one of the Boks’ weakest areas is goalkicking, if Handre Pollard cannot make it back? Manie Libbok is an exciting playmaker, with weapons galore outside him, but World Cups usually come down to nerveless kicks in the air, with the world watching each revolution, and no mercy for the miss. Libbok has been anything but convincing off the tee of late, even if he nailed many a crucial goal in the URC playoffs for the Stormers.

In the pack, with no current starter having fewer than 60 caps (if Duane Vermeulen wins his eighthman spot back from powerful Jasper Wiese) the Boks only have one question mark: Bongi Mbonambi’s troubling lineout woes.

The Boks game plan is physical and intimidating, yes, but more than all of that fury is accuracy: precision. The least precise parts right now are late match kicks and throws.

(Surprising to me that the backline of the Boks is not seen as more of a weakness (some chaps on this site don't regards that poor chap in a no. 12 jersey as being much good)). Bok forward pack alone can beat most teams.

The Boks game plan is physical and intimidating, yes, but more than all of that fury is accuracy: precision. The least precise parts right now are late match kicks and throws.

Physicality and accuracy are two things we've lacked throughout the Erasputin regime. 

As for All Black 9s. Christie was by far the best 9 on display. He outperformed Smith quite comfortably. It was quite depressing watching him, and then watching Fluff et al. 

Plum, Moodie could outdo Am. It's not impossible. However, Libbok, who has flatlined in every test, is not test quality. He is no better than Earl Rose. Though, I suspect Rose was better. 

I hear you, Deus.

But I sometimes take a bit of an abstract approach to these things and try to zoom out a little.

Libbok, in the games that he's played, hasn't kicked well, that is a given. I'm putting it down to nerves for now because we've all seen him kick a lot better than he currently is. 

But when you look at the games he has started, and the high scores in many of those games, it's difficult(correlation & causation, I know) to not feel as though the way he wants to play the game has a positive influence on the mindset of backs. 

Again, I'm going on memory here, but when last did the Boks post the types of scores that they have recently while he was the pivot? I can't help but think that means something.

And I know you're one of the guys that ain't a Nienas fan, but he did say in a recent interview, for better or worse, that if Libbok keeps making tries then he's happy. So it looks like management recognises that he sparks something in the back line and it's having a good effect on the creative confidence of the side.

It's probably the curse of having Money Ball as one of my favorite films, but over the years I've come to pay more attention to outcomes when certain players are involved as opposed to their individual contributions... within reason of course. 

Now, I'm not resting my case for Libbok entirely on the speculative...he does have certain in-your-face qualities that are there for all to see. He's very sharp, I give him 10/10 for distribution and he does have a great rugby brain as well...rarely making bad decisions. 

With DDA at 12, Libbok struggles to shine...but when he's got smarter players with him, he appears to bring out the best in them. He seems to provide them with that little bit of space, time, and direction they need, and/or cleverly shifts focus to weaker defensive channels.

And then there is of course the the thing that we've all been hoping for, year upon year, which is for the Boks to just play the game and stop looking at the pitch in these zones like they're generals standing over a table map. Pollard is your guy if you want to play tight and under strict instruction but I feel that Libbok might be able to open the gates for the more creative players in our backs...which we appear to have an abundance of at this point. I mean, we got these crazy talented backs coming through, we may as well go all-in and see where we get to? That's my logic anyway.

Perhaps it's wishful thinking but I'm hoping that Libbok can finally be the pivot that proves the Bok backs are just as good as the forwards.

The ABs did Rugby a huge favor by choosing their best team. They intend to win….so many of these warm up games are just injury avoidance exercises. So it becomes a real contest, the two great rivals at the home of rugby. I should have made the trip!

Must be a record number penalties by ABs

"However, Libbok, who has flatlined in every test, is not test quality. He is no better than Earl Rose. Though, I suspect Rose was better. "

lol