Will Rassie run the Ball in the 3rd test... A World Cup final repeat...

In the world cup final , Rassie flipped the script with fewer up and under's from Faff. 
Instead, Faff passed more to Pollard, who varied the game plan with a mix of running and kicking. 

The Lions have chosen a team that is better under the high ball. 
Shortly afterward, Rassie announced a team with a scrumhalf that kicks much less often- and is more renowned for his running game. 

SA should be better in the lineouts than in the first 2 tests, and if the scrum dominance continues that could be enough to wrap up the game under the current game plan. 

Although if Rassie is hiding a knockout punch for the 3rd test, we shall soon see. A strong start to the test, with the bomb squad off the bench - could see a big score for the Boks. 

Yes it looks like there could be fewer up and unders as Reinach is not know for this.

I hope Reinach has a pearler. He has bags of talent but has never done himself justice. Super runner and very quick.

Boks can try and run off good front foot ball. Pack needs to be uncompromising. 

Its going to be a big battle. Lions will throw the kitchen sink at the Boks. As always the ref will have a big say.  The Frog  had better get it right lest Rassie has to shred him in another post match video masterpiece!

Gatland will be expecting it...but what?

The gameplan was the same as always. The variation is do we pass from the first pod or not. That's it. Set piece dominance was the difference. The last time the Boks played "running rugby" under Josè was Brisbane 2018. 

The Lions had the wrong gameplan, worked a treat in the first test against a match starved Bok side but came apart at the seams as we witnessed in the second test. Gatland has himself to be blamed. Instead of running the ball he repeated the effort of the first test by playing another physical game laced with up and unders. As the day grows old there's only one team who will win that battle. So no, I think he knows he only has one option and that is to give the pill some air. Don't expect the Boks to play a running game, they simply don't have one.

Expect a surprise...there will be some variation... some trick or treat...and it's some time still to October 31st.

You can see the astonishing similarity in all three tests:

Kicks: 37,25,24 in the WC

Passes 77, 92, 97 in the WC

Runs. 83, 86, 89.

No we did not run freely in the WC final….we ran successfully off turnover ball. It wasn’t a strategy to run, it was the result of a strategy to defend.

We have never seen these Boks run against good opposition except after the opponent makes a mistake.

The key attacking plays were from unstructured movements and individual opportunism. That's it. The entire offence was, shift it to Kolbe and see if he does stuff. Our team gives our outside backs very, very poor ball. That's if they get it. 0.8% of total team possession for a strike runner is shocking. 

Those basic stats also shine a bright light on the gormless Lions…worst Lions team I have seen since first following  the Lions with Cliff Morgan, Jeff Butterfield and Tony O’Reilly  in 1955.

No we did not run freely in the WC final….we ran successfully off turnover ball. It wasn’t a strategy to run, it was the result of a strategy to defend.

We also run under advantage. 

There were a few differences and variations in our game, but nothing drastic...it just looked better because we scored a few tries and we made fewer errors....how our gamelan looks when done properly...but it requires discipline and high accuracy...difficult to achieve.