Wales vs Springboks Saturday 5th June - 14.30 Setanta Sports/BBC2 and S4C

Judgement Day

This could be a real classic - Wales at home with a strong lineup and the Boks with, to me, an unconvincing looking team. Can CJ Van der Linde last a full half - no odds on that from Paddy Power! Wales by more than 8 at 11/4 is too good for me to ignore.

The teams as they appear on www.scrum.com

Wales: L Byrne (Ospreys); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), T Prydie (Ospreys), S Jones (Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys); P James (Ospreys), M Rees (Scarlets), A Jones (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, capt)

Replacements: H Bennett (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), AW Jones (Ospreys), R McCusker (Scarlets), R Rees (Cardiff Blues), D Biggar (Ospreys), A Bishop (Ospreys)

South Africa: F Steyn (Racing Metro); G Aplon (Stormers), J Fourie (Stormers), J de Jongh (Stormers), O Ndungane (Sharks); R Pienaar (Sharks), R Januarie (Stormers), CJ van der Linde (Leinster), J Smit (Sharks), BJ Botha (Ulster), D Rossouw (Bulls), V Matfield (Bulls), F Louw (Stormers), D Potgieter (Bulls), J van Niekerk (Toulon)

Replacements: C Ralepelle (Bulls), J du Plessis (Sharks), A Hargreaves (Sharks), R Kankowski (Sharks), M Bosman (Cheetahs), Z Kirchner (Bulls), B Basson (Cheetahs)

Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (England), Robin Goodliffe (England)
TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland

Judgement Day

The history of results between Wales and the Springboks doesn't make pretty reading if your a Welsh supporter - they have only beaten them once and that was the fairly decisive win in 1999. However, where there's life there's hope.

1906: South Africa vs Wales 11-0 at St Helen’s Ground, Swansea
1912: South Africa vs Wales 3-0 at Cardiff Arms Park
1931: South Africa vs Wales 8-3 at St Helen’s Ground, Swansea
1951: South Africa vs Wales 6-3 at Cardiff Arms Park
1960: South Africa vs Wales 3-0 at Cardiff Arms Park
1964: South Africa vs Wales 24-3 at Kings Park Stadium, Durban
1970: Draw 6-6 at Cardiff Arms Park
1994: South Africa vs Wales 20-12 at Cardiff Arms Park
1995: South Africa vs Wales 40-11 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
1996: South Africa vs Wales 37-20 at Cardiff Arms Park
1998: South Africa vs Wales 28-20 at Wembley Stadium, London
1998: South Africa vs Wales 96-13 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1999: Wales won 29-19 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2000: South Africa vs Wales 23-13 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2002: South Africa vs Wales 19-8 at Newlands
2002: South Africa vs Wales 34-19 at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
2004: South Africa vs Wales 53-18 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2004: South Africa vs Wales 38-36 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2005: South Africa vs Wales 33-16 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2007: South Africa vs Wales 34-12 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2008: South Africa vs Wales 37-21 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2008: South Africa vs Wales 43-17 at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein

ScrubsfanChris

Judgement Day wrote: »

1970: Draw 6-6 at Cardiff Arms Park
1994: South Africa vs Wales 20-12 at Cardiff Arms Park

They didn't play each other for 24 years :eek:

Hard to call this one, think SA by 6.

sock puppet

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

They didn't play each other for 24 years :eek:

Hard to call this one, think SA by 6.

Well most of that could be explained by the boycott. Don't think many teams toured South Africa in that period.

corny

The Springboks to win by 10. The Welsh pack will be mauled.

toomevara

Not a game that should be played in my opinion, purely about the WRU lining its pockets. Once again player welfare goes on the backburner despite all the fine words the IRB spouts regarding the issue. Silly, pointless match that further devalues the currency of international rugby and puts players who've just gone through a ridiculously,ridiculously long season at risk, and with summer tours still to come. It's getting so that the only way elite players can ever get a rest is to sustain an injury. Daft, something's got to give and unfortunately it'll be the bodies of the players rather than the greed and short-sightedness of the game's governing bodies.

toomevara

toomevara wrote: »

Not a game that should be played in my opinion, purely about the WRU lining its pockets. Once again player welfare goes on the backburner despite all the fine words the IRB spouts regarding the issue. Silly, pointless match that further devalues the currency of international rugby and puts players who've just gone through a ridiculously,ridiculously long season at risk, and with summer tours still to come. It's getting so that the only way elite players can ever get a rest is to sustain an injury. Daft, something's got to give and unfortunately it'll be the bodies of the players rather than the greed and short-sightedness of the game's governing bodies.

yea but it gives me something to watch whilst I nurse my moderate hangover

wixfjord

Ah come on toome dont be wreckin my buzz! Ive 6 perlenbacher (Aldis finest!), a top class game to look forward to and a small few bob on Gio Aplon anytime tryscorer! Thats a good sat afternoon!

ScrubsfanChris

Just a heads up, this is on BBC2 Wales, not any of the other variations.

copacetic

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Just a heads up, this is on BBC2 Wales, not any of the other variations.

It's on BBC1 and BBC2 (all variations) via the red button on Sky or Freesat.

wixfjord

Daire O Brien is so unbelieveably biased its hilarious! Its like one of us presenting!

BOHSBOHS

also on s4c

looking forward to seeing how the 5 new caps get on for the boks:D especially Gio!

wales have their best chance in years to beat SA

wixfjord

My god lee byrne is such an idiot, how often does he take a quick penalty, doesnt size it up and keeps it in play. Crazy.

DonkeyPokerTour

Is it just me or is Alan Lewis's calls for scrums rediculously slow, its like: crouch..touch...pause...10sec delay...engage! Hence South Africa gave away two free kicks!

wixfjord

Oh my lord that was horrendous from Smit!

copacetic

DonkeyPokerTour wrote: »

Is it just me or is Alan Lewis's calls for scrums rediculously slow, its like: crouch..touch...pause...10sec delay...engage! Hence South Africa gave away two free kicks!

It similar to reffing in last nights game, I wonder have the refs been told to actually use the system properly, rather than the 'crouch, touch, pause, engage' sentence in one breath that means there is no pause at all..

wixfjord

I really love the way Halfpenny plays. Gets involved in everything and is so intelligent.

DonkeyPokerTour

copacetic wrote: »

It similar to reffing in last nights game, I wonder have the refs been told to actually use the system properly, rather than the 'crouch, touch, pause, engage' sentence in one breath that means there is no pause at all..

Missed last nights game, but I'm so used to hearing crouch, touch, pauuussssseeee, engage that I suppose it'll take a while to get used too, like the change from Crouch, Hold, Engage!

Sangre

Thought there was either a shoulder charge or a late tackle there in the lead up to SA's penalty (on the Welsh player who dropped the ball).

chupacabra

The setanta commentators pronunciation of the South African players names is embarrassing.

LeeroyJones

James Hook Great Hands!

sock puppet

chupacabra wrote: »

The setanta commentators pronunciation of the South African players names is embarrassing.

Nevermind that. Who the hell is Mark Phillips?

sock puppet

Anyone else think it's time Gatland gave the Ospreys midfield a go? Wales' biggest problem is obviously in the forwards but it shouldn't mean that the backs can be excused for poor performances. Roberts hasn't been that good at all since the Lions. He gets over the gainline but his decision making is poor. Biggar should also be getting gametime in tests like these. It looks like Gatland still sees Hook as his backup 10.

Digifriendly

toomevara wrote: »

Not a game that should be played in my opinion, purely about the WRU lining its pockets. Once again player welfare goes on the backburner despite all the fine words the IRB spouts regarding the issue. Silly, pointless match that further devalues the currency of international rugby and puts players who've just gone through a ridiculously,ridiculously long season at risk, and with summer tours still to come. It's getting so that the only way elite players can ever get a rest is to sustain an injury. Daft, something's got to give and unfortunately it'll be the bodies of the players rather than the greed and short-sightedness of the game's governing bodies.

60,000 don't agree. Great game to watch.

Gelio

Very entertaining game

Judgement Day

Good game to watch, not quite the 'classic' I had an anticipated and CJ Van der Linde managed 76 minutes before being subbed - is this a record?

toomevara

Digifriendly wrote: »

60,000 don't agree. Great game to watch.

Good game to watch, certainly, but not the point I'm making. There are way too many nonsense international matches and this game, entertaining though it was, represented yet another.

Judgement Day

toomevara wrote: »

Good game to watch, certainly, but not the point I'm making. There are way too many nonsense international matches and this game, entertaining though it was, represented yet another.

I'm inclined to agree with you, but it is not just too many international matches, it is too many competitive games period. That said, is there any alternative as surely it is all down to the professional era and the need to get in every possible shekel? One has only to look at the Ireland touring party for NZ/Australia to see the high price of too many games. As a result anything short of a whitewash on this tour will be miraculous - I hope I'm wrong but all the signs are ominous.

copacetic

Judgement Day wrote: »

I'm inclined to agree with you, but it is not just too many international matches, it is too many competitive games period. That said, is there any alternative as surely it is all down to the professional era and the need to get in every possible shekel? One has only to look at the Ireland touring party for NZ/Australia to see the high price of too many games. As a result anything short of a whitewash on this tour will be miraculous - I hope I'm wrong but all the signs are ominous.

I hear what you are saying but if a few up and coming players get the experience of being beaten by NZ and/or Australia then it can only be good for them imo.These games don't 'matter', they are all about building to the 6 nations and WC next year.