The Etzebeth factor strikes the blues players

Ex Planet Rugby

Illnesses to several key players has wreaked havoc with the Blues' preparations for Friday's clash with the Stormers in Albany.

Coach Sir John Kirwan said full-back Charles Piutau and flanker Steven Luatua were both suffering influenza while centre Rene Ranger has an infection and is in hospital on a drip, although he is expected to be released on Tuesday.

Adding to that, hooker James Parsons is awaiting results from checks on a neck injury sustained in Friday's 12-11 loss to the Reds in Brisbane.

As a result Kirwan delayed announcing the team to his players until Wednesday.

Kirwan said it wasn't entirely unexpected that players would be battling in one way or another after 11 rounds of the tournament.

"We knew people would be tired," he told Sportal.

"Most of the guys who are sick have played the biggest numbers. Charles has played every minute of every game and done every training run so we expected this," he said.

Kirwan revealed that he has seen some maturity developing in his charges, but that would count for nothing if they did not apply themselves against the Stormers on Friday.

"The guys realise that we can compete with the best so that is great for our confidence," he added.

Kirwan expects the Stormers to be aggressive and wants his players to be ready physically for the encounter.

"They are very good mauling, and around the breakdown," he said.

"The African sides throw different stuff at us so we need to be ready for that.

"They are very good on defence so the attack coach is going to have to earn his money this week.

"They are good right across the board - they frustrate teams, they are in there at the breakdown so that's a typical African side and they will be really tough."

I suppose more would have retired had Etzebeth been starting!

Our starting pack are still missing Tiaan, Etzebeth and Burger other wise the Blues coach may have had to draft payers in!!!!!  Also Allistair is sure to get the backline wrong so blues cheer up you do have a chance and I can only wonder with deep concern who the ref is.

I suppose ou maaaikie is predicting another Stormer's loss. Hey given his record one might say that was a good omen! 

 Indeed..  

etzbeth factor??? so are the blues players going to miss over half the season too??? o_O

this effects my fantasy team big time as both luatua and piutau are in my fantasy teams, piutau is easily covered by my bench, but luatua and de jager are my main locks and de jager has they bye.
was looking to replace du toit this week for luke pyle, but i may have to get rid of de jager instead, :o/

worrying times, espcially as the cup opponents have been thinned out and only the strongest are still around, :o(

saSUE if refuge in fantasy rugby helps go for it.

Bye the way saSUE de Jager is also a kid. When he fulls out. Okay lets not go there one should never over do things.  Next thing the abs will be joining he NH comps!

@beeno1 aka storminged,
All Blacks joining the NH??? why on earth would we do that, the biggest challenge in rugby is the IRC/4nats and the biggest challenge in club level is IMO the super rugby series.

so heres a few numbers to wrap ur pea sized brain around,,,
17 years if super rugby, NZ 11 titles, SA 3 titles
16 years of TriNats, NZ 10 titles, SA 3 titles
1 and only IRC, NZ 1 title, SA 0 titles.

the only ones here who have voiced opinons about leaving the SH for the NH has been saffas, and while they may point to the many reasons why, u only need to look at the numbers i provided to know the real reason  is that its the best way for the Boks to strat winning things on a more consistent basis.

hope he keeps up with the pace of the game

 saSUE I admit we have had a blip in the graph since returning from isolation but we will resume our righthful spot as number 1 in the near future.  Nz must simply prepare themselves for their traditional role as number 2  

However watch out as Oz might usurp that as well.

I like that picture Hakwa of Etzebeth giving the wee ab lock the eye. Guy is probably still shaking in his boots!  Bwahahahahahahaha

How Beeno sees himself when he's posting about rugby..

How the board sees Beeno when he's posting about rugby...

@beeno1 aka storminged,

there have only been 3 countries/teams that have ever earned the ranks of No1 rugby nation, england, the Boks and the All Blacks. All Blacks have been No1 four times longer then both england and SA combined.

All Blacks had the best winning margins in the ameteur era, All Blacks have the best record in the porfessional era.

All Blacks have a suerprior head t to head record over everyone in the professional era, and only the Boks had a better head to head against the All Blacks in the amateur era winning 21 tests to 18.
the record now is 48 -34 in the All Blacks favour.

All Blacks are the only country in the world to have a superior head to head record against every nation in their own backyard bar the Boks.
and that record is currently only 24-19. 5 more tests win in SA against the Boks and the All Blacks will have a better head to head record against everyone, EVERYWHERE.

ur chest thumpong is amusing, just like it was last year when u said the Boks would be No1 by seasons end, even though we schooled u in dunedin and raped u in sowetto.
but dont woory, we wont have it all our way, i mean in the Boks have won three tests in NZ in the professional era, this proves that while were always close to prefection, we never seem to get there.

good luck in staying at No2, i hear comeptition is really tough these days, but what would i know being camped on the No1 summit for as long as we have, :o)

 Congrats Sasue, you've successfully goaded me into commenting on this silly thread. The All Blacks were outclassed in Dunedin with every aspect of the game in the Boks favour except the scoreboard, count your lucky stripes because you can be sure Morne's for his kicking boots this year and so does his clone, Lamebie. 

@shezza,

welcome to this silly thread, lolz, :oP
regading this comment of urs though,,,

"The All Blacks were outclassed in Dunedin with every aspect of the game in the Boks favour except the scoreboard,"

o_O

some of the stats in the dunedin test,,,

meters made with ball in hand
All Blacks - 326
Boks - 224

scrums won on own feed
All Blacks - 6 from 6
Boks - 4 from 6

lineouts won on own throw
All Blacks - 12 from 13 (92%)
Boks - 13 from 18 (72%)

tackles made from attempts
All Blacks - 99 from 113 attempts (87.6%)
Boks - 92 from 107 attempts (86%)

linebreaks
All Blacks - 3
Boks - 2

offloads
All Blacks - 4
Boks - 2

penalties conceded
All Blacks - 11
Boks - 16

yellow cards
All Blacks - 0
Boks - 1

i guess every aspect in SA means something comletely different in NZ, o_O
is the Boks conceding more penalties and getting more yellow cards then the All Blacks considered a good thing???
thats what i love about different cultures, whats considered a bad thing in my culture like yellow cards, is not necessarily a bad thing in urs, LMAO, -_o

Hasbeeno, what's your definition of a blip? the Boks have been playing International rugby for  122 years so with being a very poor 2nd to the ABs since ending their isolation in 1992, I would say that the last 21 years (which represents 17% of your entire history!) is hardly a blip? More like a chunk!!!!!

Poly please oak you really dont want to become another hakwa posting these weird pictures. Hakwa is a frustrated artist - largely due to his lack of taste I suspect.

Bweeno,  Elizabeth is a girls name and you keep repeating it like some love sick puppy..

stain larger its ETZEBETH not Elizabeth. Study the two words carefully and ask hakwa for help if necessary. Its a name that will be spoken of with awe by nz in times to come. Never have we seen his likes before etc. Why cant we produce men like that etc.

Bweeno same thing according to Clever mike so may i suggest it's you that needs help with your latent  tendencies. Was about this time last year that Denny came out of the closet  as well coincidentally, What fun we had with that hack.

Beeno

uh-oh, it seems that calling ezebeth elizabeth has truck a raw nerve with beeno1 aka strominged, will now adjust future postings accordingly, :oP

my favourite elizabeth moment was his first test against the All Blacks, where after getting a whipping and a half, meyer threw in the towel on elizabeths behalf before the 60min mark which is the norm tactical subsitituion time, o_O
poor elizabeth, he wasnt quite use to facing such a formidable team like the All Blacks.

i wonder why the saffa folk here never talk about the sowettot test???
its like it dosent even exist to them and when the reference past All Black/Bok tests, they go back to one where they can blame goal kicking for their demise and use it as some kind of a focal point for all other All Black/Bok references.
its weird, but i guess i wouldnt want to remember the sowetto test either if i was a saff, Lord knows eban elizabeth dosent want to remember it. his mother still comforts him when he wakes up in the middle of the night sobbing and screaming the All blacks are coming, :oP

hakwa and saSUE the Soweto test had us with a new and young backline who got in a tangle defence wise. It was a momentary slump in form after whipping OZ.

@Hakwa.... classic re Bruno.... Thought I'd seen elizabeth somewhere before... Sorry Beeno your boy is a homo male model....

Fuck meee... It's the same recycled bullshit over and over with this forum, Im getting bored with it now....

abnob this is a fun thread. If you dont see the joke move on please. Also do remember the forum is open to you psoting a thread of interest s oplease give it  a shot?

 hey Beeno, below is one humble player who goes about making his physical presence felt on the field without the public acolades and without the tantrums your hero throws!

@hakwa,
ur on freaking fire bro, keep up the good work, :o)

i love the tantrums that lady elizabeth throws, will make the job a lot easier for all team facing him.
i warned our saffa brus here about his ill discipline, and it only took him two tackles to get his first penalty??? o_O

thank u lady lady elizabeth fro proving exactly what ive always known, alot of talent, with zero dsicipline, :o)

Sas, stop making it up, the Etzebeth penalty was for a high tackle, had stuff all to do with ill discipline

Snapster I think saSUE has lost the plot. Too much fantasy rugby!!!

Snapster I think saSUE has lost the plot. Too much fantasy rugby!!!

 this is how scared the blues players were when they found out Etzebeth was playing

 You are getting it hakwa keep up the good work!

Baboon-ou, your precious Ellen Elizabeth does tend to get very angry very quickly as he proved again today.

 As he is a Bok I would think you would be a bit more positive towards Eben but ooops I forgot you are an ab supporter these days rooiskunk!  Pooo what a pong!

It was actually a simple "yes" or "no" question, Baboon-ou . . . come on, stick your "kneck" out!

At least he is not a "showpony" (sic) ............bwaaaahahahahaa......Rooiaaas

this what the Blues really thought of Eben

Well Hasbeeno, I watched your precious Betty last night and all he seemed to do was follow the  Mild Zephyr pack around like a lost sheep! Hardly "Best Lock in the World" material I would've thought!