Springbok team 2nd test Vs AB

Springbok team to face New Zealand in Cape Town:
15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 96 caps, 75 pts (15t)
14 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 25 pts (5t)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 74 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 –Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 83 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 36 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
10 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 74 caps, 734 points (7t, 99c, 162p, 5dg)
9 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 14 caps, 15 points (3t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 28 caps, 5 points (1t)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 82 caps, 45 points (9t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 87 caps, 55 points (11t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 points
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 125 caps, 30 points (6t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 74 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 73 caps, 75 points (15t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 34 caps, 0 points
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 70 caps, 95 points (19t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 55 caps, 0 points
19 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 46 caps, 45 points (9t)
20 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 0 points
21 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 15 caps, 12 pts (2t, 1c)
22 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 7 caps, 49 points (14c, 4p)
23 – Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks) - 37 caps, 35 pts (7t)

Interesting selection, no 6 2 split. Traditional bench. No real alarms coming through. 

Glad to see Williams getting a start. 

Moodie is back on the wing. Great to see we won't miss someone like Arendse who has been a bit flat against the AB. But that is down to Dud who can't pass. 

AM is back too. Wonder if he'll go to 12 or 13, maybe wing 

No Fassi? Damn!

Probably our best knockout rugby team ATM...missing Willemse at 15, but Willie won't let us down...Rassie really wants to win this one. 

Happy with this team. Thank you Ras.

Crazy to think that Cheslin Kolbe has only played 36 tests.

It feels like he's been around since kingdom come....

I thought they would stick to Sacha. He's done nothing to not be selected.

How do you even determine something like "best passer in the team"? It's mumbo jumbo.

Nothing I've seen on the field supports that assessment. DDA throws plenty of head high passes or passes that go behind the runner or to nowhere like on Saturday. His passing is all over the place.

But seriously Dave, how would a coach determine that? Not bickering, I'm interested.

Well your best passer is the player that is able to pass naturally both ways, accurately and a good distance

But surely everyone should be able to do that, especially at test level. Anyway, not that important, I have my own eyes fortunately.

Manie is our best passer, but he's got a few outher problems...it's about speed, accuracy AND timing.

I am disappointed that Sasha is not starting.  He is a far better player than Pollard. 

Caleb Clarke is licking his lips for Dud Allende chops. Wasn’t Kolisi suffering from a strained larynx or something?

"Willie for Fassi?? "

Go read Ben Smith's article and watch the Allblack's tries again.

a Real move backwarxds in the teaam - no Sacha and no Fassie  in the team - the forwards slooks reasonable -  

In essense with Pollar as flyhalf the team is on the way backwards to 10 man rugby.     No chance of that working against the AB's and I suspect we stand a good chance to lose the test.         

a Real move backwarxds in the teaam - no Sacha and no Fassie  in the team - the forwards slooks reasonable -  

In essense with Pollar as flyhalf the team is on the way backwards to 10 man rugby.     No chance of that working against the AB's and I suspect we stand a good chance to lose the test.         

Rassie is one-eyed......Wiese is his favourite, no-one else will wear the 8 jersey

ok where do I read this article? Just share the insights Draad.

Blob linked it on another thread but click here to read it. Most important take probably being this about the double banking:

On Codie Taylor’s try the lineout jumper Ardie Savea hadn’t hit the ground yet before the early engage by the Boks, leading to one of the lifters Tyrel Lomax being trapped in front of the jumper. There is a defensive infringement already before the supposed ‘double banking’ infringement.

Given the speed it which this occurs, whether that is called or not is a far more nuanced decision compared to say, a blatant knock-on in the process of scoring.

The Springboks had the exact same thing occur in the 67th minute maul that led to the Ofa Tu’ungafasi yellow card, with Pieter-Steph du Toit blocking for the lead jumper. The Boks peeled to the right in the same way the All Blacks did, and Tu’ungafasi was sent to the bin for illegally collapsing on the second drive.

Oh I see now Draad referred to Smith's comments on Fassi:

The All Blacks put four past them at Emirates Airline Park and two tries to left wing Caleb Clarke is enough to tell you that the Springboks were vulnerable out wide.

In particular, young fullback Aphelele Fassi as the last man in the defensive system wasn’t able to close fast enough to prevent the ball getting free.

Well I'm not sure I agree with that. The first Clarke try was almost entirely down to Kolbe. Kriel should have made a spot tackle instead of trying to block the pass and that could have ended the move right there of course, but even then we were still man on man outside until Kolbe shot out of line trying to do who knows what. At that point the All Blacks had an overlap.

Second try Fassi could do nothing other than what he did - cover Beauden. Kolbe is completely absent from the wing, he seems to be standing on the 22 in line with the lineout for some reason, so the Boks start off a man short outside as the All Blacks go wide.

Our back 3 as a whole wasn't at their best on defence...they'll get better as they play together...I'm not suggesting Fassie should have been dropped,  just think with Arendse out, Rassie would like to bring an old hand in to prevent a situation where there's too many greenhorns and the unit loses cohesion.

Rassie  I believe mentioned that Willie wants to get a "Hundred Test Cap" before he calls it quits.

I agree that Fassi should start and then bring Willie on in the 79 minute to get another test under his belt.

The sooner he reaches his goal the better.

Dud Allende had a decent angle to get Clarke on one of his tries and got gassed. There now you are schooled again Sicnoob.

I see some of the oaks having a go at Rassie once again.

You would think these people would stop sounding off for once. I mean how many times has the egg landed?

There is a great Press interview of Rassie where he explains his selections. 

Rassie for example says Dixon will play many tests for South Africa. Willie is great organizer of the Bok defence. 

It is clear Rassie is a great thinker. 

And no nothing is cast in stone that we win but don't count out the Boks. 

Of course Allende once again comes in for stick. Now it's because he can't pass. Allende is supposedly afraid of an a who NOT PLAYING. Bwahahahahaha man there are some VERY ignorant oaks posting here. 

Kolisi has passed the training sessions and apparently from a medical point if view it's fine for him to play. 

Oaks go and watch the video on You Tube and wise up a tad. 

Moffie, that doesn' t answer the question. It's just childish deflection.

Why would Caleb Clarke be "licking his lips" when he's not even playing . . . as every self-respecting rugby follower would know after the AB team announcement two days ago?

Hmmmm?

Silence of the noobs . . .

"Would you guys say Willie is much better at defence that Fassi? I reckon his positional play is better, but not by massive amounts."

One of our smarter players...I like Fassie and I believe he'll play many tests for the Bokke...Moody too, but with Arendse out and Moody  technically still a noob, let's rather play it safe with xp...make it safe.

Hmmmmm…..two days ago? Two days ago I was enjoying  an 18 course tasting menu at Mont  Bar in Barcelona.  It’s a pretty cool spot with a Michelin  star. Could be I missed the announcement. Well no matter, I’m sure who ever replaces him will have similar thoughts.

How was the food in Hillbrow?

Not as good as kreef in Kampsbaai...but biltong in Brackenfell tastes even better...