Springboks vs Poms Head to Head

5 Freddie Steward, 14 Joe Marchant, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Jonny May, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Tom Curry, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Courtney Lawes (c), 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Bevan Rodd.
Subs: 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Alex Dombrandt, 22 Raffi Quirke, 23 Max Malins

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Jesse Kriel, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Kwagga Smith, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Frans Steyn.

Eddie is a  whiley coach, he managed to beat the boks with Japan and I'm not sure what to make of the game on Saturday, but I think if there is a game that the boks want to stamp their authority then this is it. 

Looking at the poms front row, not sure what to make of it. Very young players and inexperience. Gian full back who had a great game last week not to mention Johnny may. 

Marcus Smith is an insanely gifted flyhalf but can we contain him and break his confidence.  

Tuilagi is in the midfield along with Slade, pretty big centre combo. So the backs probably pip us a little, but hopefully we can destroy their pack

Lots of names I don't know. All I can say is the back row is an edge for England. Locks? Itoje will be looking to continue where he left off for the Lions, dominating the Boks. I anticipate they'll expose many of our flaws, but will inevitably succumb to our aerial assault, and set piece dominace. England is a good match-up for us, more so than the other top NH sides, as we negate their key strengths, taking them out of the game. I don't see this team being any different. I predicted the Boks will sweep the tour, and this will likely be our easiest assignment, even considering the tactical blunders of Scotland. 

Lawes was dominant in the lions series. 

Lawes is certainly a lot smarter than your idols. I've never seen Lawes charge of the line to take out a man nowhere near the ball! 

Rather yellow belly than brown mouth! 

Calling Lawes stupid  is ironical….given all the Kolisi pampering.

Dave I have always supported SA Rugby. But I can’t support Erasmus’ attack on refereeing. I can’t support the race card. I can’t support the rugby we are playing most games….with the WC final and NZ win as rare exceptions. I can’t support the point of view that the world is out to get South Africa.

To me it all seems paranoid and unnecessary. Out here in the real world South Africa is well regarded and a visit to CT is on everybody’s bucket list. We are fighting our own demons not reality.

And on the rugby front we are in as strong a position as we have been since the sixties. Firstly every other rugby nation doesn’t have a settled team and most of them have declined in the past 5years. The Boks by contrast have both a settled team and huge depth.

So why not  be ambitious , expand our skill set….become the undisputed, unchallenged leader. Why settle for these narrow ugly wins over the likes of Scotland and Wales.

That’s my problem…..our mental processes are inhibiting us. It’s all so circle the waggonish.

On paper the England teams look weaker than what they usually field, but who knows it could be some good young players coming through for the next world cup.

Boks must start as favourites given the new combinations and caps for England. Boks look like a more settled team. 

Marcus Smith needs to be moered from the outset so that he knows he is in a physical test. See how he copes with the pressure. 

Smith is tougher than he looks. 

Everyone knows what SA intend to do. We have a very young bunch of players in general so it’s going to be a learning curve. 

Rassie sure has highlighted the issues... like the Wiese shoulder charge? The Kolbe takeout of a player in the air? Man, the Boks have consistently been let off the hook. A fair game, and they have about two or three wins this season. The Boks playing the victim is like the loser SJWs crying as they have their opposition silenced. Vixtims only in their own heads. Don't think everybody has overlooked these things. Never before have prominent figures in the game been so outspoken against the Boks. Ever. The Kak Pack and the general Plastiks live in a bubble. Seems to be the Saffer way, aside from Saffex. Ex-South African Englishman who currently adopts South Africa as his country?... pretty messed up. Shall we add it to the LGBTQQIP2SAA acronym?

The idea not to play with a specialist no 8 on the field is ridiculous. Dombrandt should be starting. 

And to have no real option at 10 if Smith gets injured is just so stupid. Ford could have been recalled, he’s playing well this year and it would mean we didn’t have to put a make-shift 10 ,in either Slade or Malins, out there. 

I have never respected Rassie since he walked out on the Boks just before the 2007 WC when he could have arranged to stay. And nothing I have seen since makes me think he is anything but a self serving man. 

Usually he is quite good at the insincere good guy routine, but he just blew it with the reffing video. He will never be seen as anything but an opportunist outside South Africa and it has rubbed off on Kolisi and the Bok team as a whole.

The whole thing has accomplished nothing….nobody is going to follow his lead on refereeing. If anything he has made questioning the referees even more unacceptable and made a hero of Berry who is another classic victim.

Josè isn't a coach. He is a talker. Krutch is the coach. 

Each to their own Dave…but there’s always a reason somebody becomes a maverick. Here’s Phil Kearns:

‘ Rugby fans however seemed more relieved that Kearns had finally stepped away from the mic. If truth be told, he’s become a figure that’s profoundly disliked by the sport’s fanbase. As an outspoken pundit, you’re always going to have your critics, yet Kearns etched out a career in which few if any fans ever have anything kind to say about the man.’

…. Kearns is just another anti establishment character seeing a kindred spirit in Harrassmiss. Decent blokes think he’s a loony tune.

No team this year has survived the Bok scrum unscathed. It’s hard to see how this Pom scrum will. Without parity in scrums and mauls it will be a really hard ride.

Mozzz and the org make one anti Rassie/anti Bk comment after another. They are pathetic turncoats

"No, it's the doff Saffers being shown that they may be corrupt without measure" - says the org about those defending Rassie which is the vast majority of South Africans.

Disgusting stuf f from the org.

Josè is not the Boks. That's where we differ. You're like a Babylonian Priest pushing Tamuz worship. 

To me the backline of England looks really solid. Lots of experience and capable player. May is probably one of the fastest wingers around. Tuilagi is hitting form and expect him to dominate at 12 like he did againt New Zealand a few years ago. 

Smith is a slippery character and can create some problems. Ben Youngs is still there, he had a few poor games a while back but he seems to be consistent now. At least no PSDT to dummy and snipe. 

Should be a great game, just hope the boks keep the ball in hand a bit more and run at their wingers more often

Don't fret chaps tomorrow evening we will all know the results...egg on some and knowall clean fizzogs with others....soothsayers par excellence...lol.

It most likely will end either way...funny stuff...it amazes one why some take such artifical pride in predicting outcomes they don't have any control over...especially when they go the "wrong" way.

Damian licking his lips? Is he that conscious?