Team Selection - Round 5 - Rugby Championship

South Africa  vs  Australia

South Africa  

15  Willie le Roux, 14  Cheslin Kolbe, 13  Jesse Kriel, 12  Andre Esterhuizen, 11  Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10  Handre Pollard, 9  Faf de Klerk, 8  Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7  Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6  Siya Kolisi (c), 5  Franco Mostert, 4  Eben Etzebeth, 3  Frans Malherbe, 2  Malcolm Marx, 1  Tendai Mtawarira

Replacements  : 16  Bongi Mbonambi, 17  Steven Kitshoff, 18  Wilco Louw, 19  RG Snyman, 20  Marco van Staden, 21  Embrose Papier, 22  Elton Jantjies, 23  Damian Willemse 

Australia

15  Dane Haylett-Petty, 14  Israel Folau, 13  Reece Hodge, 12  Matt Toomua, 11  Marika Koroibete, 10   Kurtley Beale, 9  Will Genia, 8  David Pocock, 7  Michael Hooper (c),6   Ned Hanigan, 5  Izack Rodda, 4  Adam Coleman, 3  Taniela Tupou, 2  Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1  Scott Sio.

Replacements  :   16  Folau Faingaa, 17  Sekope Kepu, 18  Allan Alaalatoa, 19  Rory Arnold, 20  Rob Simmons, 21  Nick Phipps, 22  Bernard Foley, 23  Jack Maddocks 

Argentina  vs  New Zealand

Argentina

  15  Emiliano Boffelli, 14  Bautista Delguy, 13  Jeronimo De La Fuente, 12  Bautista Ezcurra, 11  Matias Moroni, 10  Nicolas Sanchez, 9  Gonzalo Bertranou, 8  Javier Ortega Desio, 7  Marcos Kremer, 6  Pablo Matera, 5  Tomas Lavanini, 4  Guido Petti, 3  Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy (c ), 1  Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro

Replacements  : 16  Julian Montoya, 17  Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18  Santiago Medrano, 19  Matias Alemanno, 20  Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21  Tomas Cubelli, 22  Matias Orlando, 23  Sebastian Cancelliere

New Zealand

15  Ben Smith, 14  Waisake Naholo, 13  Ryan Crotty, 12  Sonny Bill Williams, 11  Rieko Ioane, 10  Beauden Barrett, 9  TJ Perenara, 8  Luke Whitelock, 7  Sam Cane, 6  Shannon Frizell, 5  Scott Barrett, 4  Samuel Whitelock (c), 3  Ofa Tuungafasi, 2  Codie Taylor, 1  Karl Tu’inukuafe

Replacements   : 16  Nathan Harris, 17  Tim Perry, 18  Angus Ta’avao, 19  Patrick Tuipulotu, 20  Ardie Savea, 21  Aaron Smith, 22  Richie Mo’unga, 23  Anton Lienert-Brown

South Africa Updated

Post updated.

So we're taking on Pocock and Hooper without a breakdown specialist? Very clever.

We don't have one player who can match Pocock. There is Brussow, but I haven't seen him play since 2015. If we play it tight we should be largely okay. Maybe I'm too optimistic, but when we don't play frantic rugby our ruck support has generally been good. We average at least 2 players in those rucks. Last time, Australia didn't contest the breakdown very much, they retreated quickly. It was actually very frustrating. I recall one move in their 22 when we had good numbers out wide. In a split second it was gone, the ball wasn't recycled that slowly. They just get back into line so quickly.

Questions remain over Hooper effectiveness though. I see the Aussies can't stand him. Pocock is still carrying a niggle from that neck injury. 

Then there is Beale and Genia. I think this can be exposed big time. 

Aussies updated.   Thanks AO

Why Beale at flyhalf?  

I am sure our loosies would not make the required contributions and could become a serious headache.  And then we have Toomua - Esterhuizen will chase (?) shadows the whole day.     

Pocock's gonna niggle the breakdown all game long, we'll have to clean out very effectively to neutralize that. But fair enough, it doesn't necessarily have to be a big problem. We'll have to see how both teams are going to approach it.

Esterhuizen will be no more vulnerable than Damian. Toomua needed one touch coming on as a replacement in 2015 to break past Damian. Relax.

We'll see how often they actually face each other. Toomua is most definitely a very good player. One of their best. Better than Beale in fact. I could never understand the Aussie fascination with Beale, Cooper and JOC. JOC was the more talented of the three, but still a letdown. I think the Aussies should have built around men like Toomua. They should also have stuck to Foley. The Aussies have an obsession with candyfloss rugby that simply hasn't worked. Ewan to Cheika wa s just more of the same. I hope the Boks punish them severely for fielding this halfback duo. 

We don't have one player who can match Pocock. There is Brussow, but I haven't seen him play since 2015.

Yes, very true. I do not know the player, but lets hope Marco van Staden can compensate for this obvious weakness.

Notshe @8 LMFAO.

When will Marco get on the field? I saw very little of him against the Pumas. He did look good. However, I haven't watched any of his games for the Bulls. So, another player I don't know very well. Kolisi screws everything up!

Pakie, I remember that break! There was a moment where he was beaten cleanly in our 22. Lambie had to dart out to take Toomua down. It would have been a there try through Damian's poor defence. I can't recall another Bok centre who has been beaten as many times as Damian was that day. When he came away as the hero, I thought I woke up in Toon Town! 

Fact is AO - De Allende made 25% more tackles that Esterhuizen and his missed tackle ratio is  11,9% as against the 18,5% of Esterhuizen.  The real worry is pace deficiency of Esterhuizen - he is a strong ball carrier - but his pace is seriously deficient.   That is why Toomua will have a field day against him.   

Fact is AO - De Allende made 25% more tackles that Esterhuizen and his missed tackle ratio is  11,9% as against the 18,5% of Esterhuizen.  The real worry is pace deficiency of Esterhuizen - he is a strong ball carrier - but his pace is seriously deficient.   That is why Toomua will have a field day against him.   

How many tackles does Damian succeed in which doesn't have a support tackle lend stopping power? I've examined the qualities if his tackles.

Esterhuizen is a powerful defender and has yet to be shown up for pace. In fact, his defending in space is even better relative to Damian than in close quarters. The more Damian has to defend on his own, the worse he becomes. Very unreliable. 

Toomua is not Dyantyi, now is he? 

Toomua has enough pace and step too bamboozle Esterhuizen repeatedly.

However, banter aside -  I really am worries about the test on Saturday.   And the loosies - other than Du Toit - is the real problem. 

Now I saw on TV that Whiteley has a groin injury - that could be very serious as his long absence this year also resulted from, a groin injury.   

I think that Erasmus must sit down and go through the loosies - even those playing NH rugby - with a fine comb and then decided where to go.   If we are to stay with Kolisi the other two should be real tigers and at least one should be a breakdown specialist,   The latter requirement is  a real problem.   In years gone by Louw used to show something on that score - but this years tests never really showed anything of the kind and he went down badly in performance.    Brussow used to be good - but the years is catching on him and he has announced his retirement f rom International rugby I think in 2015 already.

It is unfortunate that Louw is past it - Vermeulen could be back but I have a sneaking suspicion he won't make the WC,   So where to now?   I have a feeling Van Staden could potentially make the grade - but is not sure about it at all.    That us why I said all along our loosies needs an urgent review.

His tackling was not indicative of a shut down ever - so dream on. 

Herr Ein Auge, I'm sure Rassie will bench or rest Kolisi when needed. It is not unheard of for a Bok captain not to start...and Rassie has been known for...well, let's call it "bucking" tradition.

We need to start thinking outside the box and I think Rassie is the man to do just that. Let's try and be a bit more positive?

Herr Ein Auge, I'm sure Rassie will bench or rest Kolisi when needed. It is not unheard of for a Bok captain not to start...and Rassie has been known for...well, let's call it "bucking" tradition.

We need to start thinking outside the box and I think Rassie is the man to do just that. Let's try and be a bit more positive?

Organhuffer has his pet hates which leads him off the cliff so to speak.  His nonsense about Allende and Rassie are cases in point. 

...Good challenge for the ABs

Argentina team

: Emiliano Boffelli, Bautista Delguy, Jeronimo De La Fuente, Bautista Ezcurra, Matias Moroni, Nicolas Sanchez, Gonzalo Bertranou, Javier Ortega Desio, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti, Ramiro Herrera, Agustin Creevy, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. 

Bench: Julian Montoya, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Santiago Medrano, Matias Alemanno, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Tomas Cubelli, Matias Orlando, Sebastian Cancelliere 

Argentina updated