Australia - South Africa

sock puppet

12-0 to South Africa so far. Both sides really going for it but some piss weak defending for both of South Africa's tries.

ironingbored

12-0 South Africa after 10 mins!

Saffers off to a flyer with tries from du Preez and Fourie in the first 10 mins.

Wallabies will struggle without Mortlock, Sharpe and Barnes.

cruiserweight

Australia have made so many mistakes in the first 15 minutes. Other shock was Steyn missing a conversion straight in front of the posts :eek:

15-0 now to South Africa

Trotter

Australia's handling of the high balls is woeful. South Africa look absolutely sharp. Steyn is having a stormer in open play, so I'd forgive him one moment of madness.

ironingbored

Trademark barnstorming run by Rocky there bouncing off Botha and Du Plessis. Awesome!

cruiserweight

Two misses from Giteau and a kick for touch when they should have gone for goal, could be so different

ironingbored

Knock on there? Bad defending again though

3-22 to the Boks.

kmart6

Aussies just aren't at the races at all today!

JQ25

Does anyone have a live stream for this? Im watching a french one, anyone english speaking ones?

ironingbored

JQ25 wrote: »

Does anyone have a live stream for this? Im watching a french one, anyone english speaking ones?

This is a great stream.

http://www.iraqgoals.net/ch4.html

Bookmark it!

JQ25

Cheers man, that great! I appreciate it

cruiserweight

Good start for Australia 13-22 now

ironingbored

Pity that try didnt come 3 mins earlier

sock puppet

Outside of their 1st XV South Africa have some really awful players. It's amazing how they've won four games in a row with so little depth.

edit: Though having said that to lose 4 of their best players in such a short space of time would cripple any team.

sock puppet

sock puppet wrote: »

Outside of their 1st XV South Africa have some really awful players. It's amazing how they've won four games in a row with so little depth.

Have to give credit where its due in fairness. They are usually crap away from home and managed a bonus point win. Admittedly a few tries came from luck and suspect defence but fortune favours the brave etc.

On the flip side they looked like they were struggling when Australia actually started playing rugby and retaining possession. I'd say Cooper will start at outhalf with Giteau shifting to outside centre next week.

ironingbored

I can't understand how Australia are struggling so much.

Elsom, Giteau, Smith, Ashley-Cooper are great players. Like the look of O'Connor and Hynes.

Giteau is not a 10,this is the single reason they are loosing so much,its insane they dont play him at 12.

You have the best 12 in the world but you play him at 10,great idea.

pappyodaniel

The Boks powerhouse continues unabated. No team in world rugby can touch them. Only Ireland or France could give them a hard test at the moment.

pappyodaniel

pappyodaniel wrote: »

The Boks powerhouse continues unabated. No team in world rugby can touch them. Only Ireland or France could give them a hard test at the moment.

:rolleyes:

fisgon

ironingbored wrote: »

I can't understand how Australia are struggling so much.

Elsom, Giteau, Smith, Ashley-Cooper are great players. Like the look of O'Connor and Hynes.

Australia have so much mediocrity in their side, compared to teams of the past, I mean...Brown, Horwell, Cross, Robinson, Burgess, these guys are far from world class. Turner, Hynes and Ashley Cooper are capable of good things, but they haven't the experience or consistency needed. They're really not great. I'd say if you matched up Ireland one to fifteen against the Wallabies you'd find the Irish quite a bit better. We should really beat them comfortably in November, though in practice the Aussies are always tough to beat.

anonymous_joe

fisgon wrote: »

Australia have so much mediocrity in their side, compared to teams of the past, I mean...Brown, Horwell, Cross, Robinson, Burgess, these guys are far from world class. Turner, Hynes and Ashley Cooper are capable of good things, but they haven't the experience or consistency needed. They're really not great. I'd say if you matched up Ireland one to fifteen against the Wallabies you'd find the Irish quite a bit better. We should really beat them comfortably in November, though in practice the Aussies are always tough to beat.

No you wouldn't really.

You'd find the two teams very even, and the Aussies would edge it.

Realistically, both teams have weak (by international standards) front rows, Ireland have the second row, Australia teh back row (just. And I mean just), half backs are definitely better in Australia, while the two backlines would be relatively even.

South Africa right now, have a very good team, and could beat anyone. Man for man, tehy're better than Ireland, and we would need barrel loads of luck to get a result, but it would be possible.

OldJay

fisgon wrote: »

Australia have so much mediocrity in their side, compared to teams of the past, I mean...Brown, Horwell, Cross, Robinson, Burgess, these guys are far from world class. Turner, Hynes and Ashley Cooper are capable of good things, but they haven't the experience or consistency needed. They're really not great. I'd say if you matched up Ireland one to fifteen against the Wallabies you'd find the Irish quite a bit better. We should really beat them comfortably in November, though in practice the Aussies are always tough to beat.

If you follow Aussie rugby union, you'll find that Brown, Horwell and Cross are excellent players. Not "far from world class".

As for November, even if the Wallabies won zip this Tri Nation, discount them at your peril, especially if Mortlock is fit. The difference when Mortlock is on-field and off is easy to see.
By 2011, that squad will be a worry for any opponent.

Justind

Justind wrote: »

If you follow Aussie rugby union, you'll find that Brown, Horwell and Cross are excellent players. Not "far from world class".

As for November, even if the Wallabies won zip this Tri Nation, discount them at your peril, especially if Mortlock is fit. The difference when Mortlock is on-field and off is easy to see.
By 2011, that squad will be a worry for any opponent.

I thought he is going to start easing Mortlock out because of his age?

Sure he was playing on the wing for his club.

remus808

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Realistically, both teams have weak (by international standards) front rows, Ireland have the second row, Australia teh back row (just. And I mean just),

I would argue that Aus have a good advantage in both the front and back rows: Robinson, Moore and Baxter is better than anything we can put out, and any backrow with Smith and Elsom is a phenomenal propositon: both arguably the no.1 in their position in the world

karmabass

karmabass wrote: »

I would argue that Aus have a good advantage in both the front and back rows: Robinson, Moore and Baxter is better than anything we can put out, and any backrow with Smith and Elsom is a phenomenal propositon: both arguably the no.1 in their position in the world

Ferris is probably the 2nd best 6 going and the others arent to shabby and a front row scrummaging wise of Healy,Best and Ross would destroy the Aussies.

They arent that hot and they made the saffers look bad,shows how weak the saffers front row is scrummaging wise.

OldJay

Rebecca Whispering Maiden wrote: »

I thought he is going to start easing Mortlock out because of his age?

He has been playing as well as he ever has done. Why would he be dropped so?

Rebecca Whispering Maiden wrote: »

Sure he was playing on the wing for his club.

???
He tore a knee cartilage playing against the Bokke and is out for the rest of the season.

Justind

Justind wrote: »

He has been playing as well as he ever has done. Why would he be dropped so?
???
He tore a knee cartilage playing against the Bokke and is out for the rest of the season.

You obviously dont watch the super 14 then,he was playing wing for the brumbies this year well before he damaged his knee.

Kalashnikov_Kid

South Africa right now, have a very good team, and could beat anyone. Man for man, tehy're better than Ireland, and we would need barrel loads of luck to get a result, but it would be possible.

Very possible. Remember the last time they were in Ireland? I know they had a weakened team and was their end of season yadayada but they were the reigning Tri-nations champions....

They will play a weakened team against us this time aswell,although it will hardly be weak.I expect us to beat them but it wont be their full team.

anonymous_joe

karmabass wrote: »

I would argue that Aus have a good advantage in both the front and back rows: Robinson, Moore and Baxter is better than anything we can put out, and any backrow with Smith and Elsom is a phenomenal propositon: both arguably the no.1 in their position in the world

True, but Smith and Elsom are great, so's Waugh, but whose a balanced backrow composed of?

Then we've got Ferris and Heaslip, both world class, and Davey Wallace, whose not what he was a season ago, but still fcuking quality.

OldJay

Rebecca Whispering Maiden wrote: »

You obviously dont watch the super 14 then,he was playing wing for the brumbies this year well before he damaged his knee.

This old Tah does in fact watch the S14.
I can tell you how many games he played on the wing too (coming back from injury).
Three :rolleyes:

Now he's injured again and is out for the season. He is not playing for his club now (Gordon) and has only played for them once this year (at 10).

sock puppet

Rebecca Whispering Maiden wrote: »

Ferris is probably the 2nd best 6 going and the others arent to shabby and a front row scrummaging wise of Healy,Best and Ross would destroy the Aussies.

They arent that hot and they made the saffers look bad,shows how weak the saffers front row is scrummaging wise.

Healy and Ross are totally unproven at international level. You couldn't just throw the two of them into the team and expect them to dominate the Australian front row.

Webbs

Rebecca Whispering Maiden wrote: »

Ferris is probably the 2nd best 6 going and the others arent to shabby and a front row scrummaging wise of Healy,Best and Ross would destroy the Aussies.

They arent that hot and they made the saffers look bad,shows how weak the saffers front row is scrummaging wise.

The Aussies have turned their scrum around completely in the past 12-18months going from utter gash to a good unit, they are never going to cause problems all match against other teams but they certainly can hold their own. They were a better unit overall than the All Blacks and SA were in their last games.

Digifriendly

Webbs wrote: »

The Aussies have turned their scrum around completely in the past 12-18months going from utter gash to a good unit, they are never going to cause problems all match against other teams but they certainly can hold their own. They were a better unit overall than the All Blacks and SA were in their last games.

Do you mean their scrum or the team as a whole?

Webbs

Digifriendly wrote: »

Do you mean their scrum or the team as a whole?

Front row