South Africa v Ireland, Second Test. Match Thread

Losty Dublin

Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Kick off at 4PM BST. Live on Sky Sports 1HD from 3:30PM and live radio commentary on RTE 1.

Intro.

Last week. WTF. I'm still in shock after it.

No way were we gonna win. No way were we to come close. And even with a bright start, no way after a red card. Yet, somehow we did and even after gifting them a soft try there was only one team in control. Now, some credence can be given to the notion that the Boks weren't at their best; still it doesn't allow for the fact that Ireland were plain better and coached by Joe Schmidt. A better home performance has to be on the way and it makes this second test all the more interesting.

The teams.

Both teams had to allow for one forced change to their starting 15 but other changes have been made as well, some of which will see a few of the younger players come in. The suspended CJ Stander is replaced at blindside by Ian Henderson (below), who's second row shirt is filled by debutant homeboy Quinn Roux. Making his deserved first test start, Tadhg Furlong comes in at tighthead for Mike Ross in the other change to the forward line.

Behind the pack, Stuart Olding gets a chance in the centre while Craig Gilroy lines out on the wing alongside teammates Jared Payne and Andrew Trimble. Sub wise, Dave Kilcoyne, Donncha Ryan and Strauss make the bench as does the uncapped Ulster flanker Sean Reidy; League championship winning Tiernan O'Halloran stands to earn his first cap as well.

By contrast, the visitors see just two enforced call ups, with fly-half Elton Jantjies (below) and second row Pieter-Steph du Toit completing an otherwise unchanged 15. Sub wise, Franco Mostert and Ruan Combrinck could make their Test debut at their home ground while veteran Morne Steyn covers EJ.

Analysis The fact that the game is to be played in the infamous rarified air of Ellis Park should theoretically go with more aerobic players and a more open faster game than that of last week. The changes made by Ireland, CJ excepted, are part playing to the theory of the fitter man belonging in Jo'burg but equally they owe to better coaching on the Irish side. The defence was masterfully brave but let's be honest; the attack was not up to Bok par and thus it was an easier job for Ireland. Two changes infer that the hosts consider last week to have been a blip; can they play any worse for a second test?

Verdict. Ireland were the better team last week, no arguments about that. South Africa were definitely the worse and can play a lot better but here's the exciting bit; Ireland can play better as well, a lot better. Many of the Irish players last week were playing for places and this week is no exception. With a slightly fresher team out this time round again I feel for an away win, 28-21 and for a rendition of this after Sue the Pig is found to have come from Westport to the delight of the new sponsors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdwFEAxJyic

swiwi_

Very nice Losty. I was beginning to think there would be no match preview...

The difference between infer & imply - almost as hard to call as the result of the match...I'll go Ireland with a bright start and a match-winning defensive play from Gilroy to sneak the win, and I reckon it's imply in this case...

Cheers again!

Eponymous

Thanks for a great report Losty. I think it'll be a low scoring game. Irish defence will have had another week under Farrell's tutelage and SA will be determined not to leak points.

Still, it's not beyond this team to deliver another outstanding result and stitch up the series. Ireland by less than seven.

Dog Botherer

Think it'll come down to a Steyn drop-goal attempt to win it.

kuang1

Thanks losty. Good work.
Ireland to defend stoutly for the first 20. 6-6 at half time.
Ireland to eventually succumb to altitude and Bok pressure to lose by 4-5 points.

And still no fodder provided by Joe for the naysayers!

(Amazing how quiet it's been here this week...silence speaks volumes!!!)

wp_rathead

kuang1 wrote: »

Thanks losty. Good work.
Ireland to defend stoutly for the first 20. 6-6 at half time.
Ireland to eventually succumb to altitude and Bok pressure to lose by 4-5 points.

And still no fodder provided by Joe for the naysayers!

(Amazing how quiet it's been here this week...silence speaks volumes!!!)

To be fair there were very few people "naysaying" him for the sake of it, some people (myself included about some selections) had legitimate grievances over the year (ya there were some people with seemingly odd vendettas against Joe I'll give you)
He picked an exciting team last week, won a nailbiter and named a different but equally exciting team this week - sure what would we complain about

kuang1

wp_rathead wrote: »

To be fair there were very few people "naysaying" him for the sake of it, some people (myself included about some selections) had legitimate grievances over the year (ya there were some people with seemingly odd vendettas against Joe I'll give you)
He picked an exciting team last week, won a nailbiter and named a different but equally exciting team this week - sure what would we complain about

I have a complaint!
I'm going to be made watch the soccer match before the rugby today!!!!(and not even in a pub!)

Good luck to the soccer boyz and all that, but jaysus 4.00 is going to be even longer coming around now!

former total

As great as the win was, I don't expect us to play South Africa to play as badly again.

Hopefully we learn a lot but I'd go with SA by 5-10 points.

MJohnston

We may have broken a historic scud last week, but I'm of the opinion that you really need to beat the scud twice to truly overcome it mentally. Last week it was the pressure of never having beaten SA in SA. This week its the knowledge that lightning may never strike twice.

Still, we have a truly exciting new XV to start, and as I said elsewhere, the performance interests me much more than the result.

SA by 10, but Olding to become the Greatest Irishman who Ever Lived

peckerhead

kuang1 wrote: »

Ireland to defend stoutly for the first 20. 6-6 at half time.
Ireland to eventually succumb to altitude and Bok pressure to lose by 4-5 points.

I'd have to concur.

If it goes any other way, Faf De Klerk is going to run and tell his mammy how unfair it all is.

phog

Really hard to call, head says SA heart as always says Ireland and it's not a bad team despite the number of changes but I'm expecting a backlash and think we'll find the higher altitude a but more difficult to cope with than SA.

Neil3030

I'm actually very confident about this game, but too superstitious to say why :P

Billysays no

soccer not going great. after a great start against Sweden. anyway its now RUGBY TIME :-). Go Ireland. So excited

The Rape of Lucretia

Billysays no wrote: »

soccer not going great. after a great start against Sweden. anyway its now RUGBY TIME :-). Go Ireland. So excited

Think I switched on to it by mistake. Odd looking and low scoring game. Ireland being beaten by single penalty. Very odd shaped ball - looks to be spherical. Not sure how you could play with a ball like that. Think I saw why Ireland are loosing too - handling is dreadful. They only seem to have one guy who can catch a ball at all - and even he is fumbling it a good bit.

Anyway. On with the real sport.

bilston

5,000 feet is quite mad when you think of it. That's 1,000 feet higher than anywhere on the island of Ireland.

Neil3030

We are heavier.

We are more experienced.

We are better coached.

We are more skillful.

We have Iain Henderson.

COME ON IRELAND!!

irishbucsfan

Ireland have NEVER lost a test in South Africa when leading a series. So it's pretty much in the bag.

Neil3030

Do black South Africans actually like that Zulu warrior thing, or is it akin to Leprechauns with the Irish?

pickarooney

Need comments and scores on a regular basis if someone would oblige

BunkMoreland

Some set

Dog Botherer

Anthems much better this week.

pickarooney wrote: »

Need comments and scores on a regular basis if someone would oblige

I got ya.

pickarooney

Neil3030 wrote: »

Do black South Africans actually like that Zulu warrior thing, or is it akin to Leprechauns with the Irish?

Could xhosa few problems.

BunkMoreland

pickarooney wrote: »

Need comments and scores on a regular basis if someone would oblige

The singer has some set of knockers

awec

This is one of the better Irelands calls. Bring this woman to Lansdowne.

Neil3030

Need comments and scores on a regular basis if someone would oblige

3 mins to kick off, still 0-0.

Dog Botherer

Ack, they ruined it. Taxi for sunglasses chap.

vienne86

awec wrote: »

This is one of the better Irelands calls. Bring this woman to Lansdowne.

Glad we got her and not the creep singing the SA anthem.

MJohnston

awec wrote: »

This is one of the better Irelands calls. Bring this woman to Lansdowne.

Got a bit too Celine Dion at the end for me, but anything is better than the Guards' band

Felix Jones is God

Dog Botherer wrote: »

Ack, they ruined it. Taxi for sunglasses chap.

He's visually impaired!

vienne86

Is the ref still in secondary school?

Dog Botherer

"The Boks look much bigger, man for man"- Robson