Rugby Championship 2023

TheRona

Better late than never.

Discussion about the annual competition between Argentina / Australia / South Africa / NZ.

sydthebeat

new zealand v South africa

All Blacks match day 23 (Test caps in brackets) * debutant 

 

1. Ethan de Groot (14)

2. Codie Taylor (77)

3. Tyrel Lomax (24)

4. Brodie Retallick (100)

5. Scott Barrett (59) 

6. Shannon Frizell (26)

7. Sam Cane (captain – 87)

8. Ardie Savea (71)

9. Aaron Smith (115)

10. Richie Mo’unga (45)

11. Mark Telea (2)

12. Jordie Barrett (49)

13. Rieko Ioane (60)

14. Will Jordan (21)

15. Beauden Barrett (113)

 

16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (21)

17. Tamaiti Williams *

18. Nepo Laulala (46)

19. Tupou Vaa’i (19)

20. Dalton Papali’i (23)

21. Finlay Christie (15)

22. Braydon Ennor (7)

23. Caleb Clarke (16)

Springbok team to face New Zealand:

15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 84 caps, 65 pts (13t)

14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 23 caps, 74pts (11t, 2c, 5p)

13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 32 caps, 30 pts (6t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 70 Tests, 45pts (9t)

11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 36 caps, 110pts (22t)

10 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 28 caps, 36 pts (2t, 4c, 4p, 2d)

9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 46 Tests, 41pts (5t, 2c, 4p)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester) – 20 caps, 5pts (1t)

7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 63 caps, 15pts (3t)

6 – Kwagga Smith (Blue Revs) – 31 caps, 20pts (4t)

5 – Lood de Jager (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 65 caps, 25pts (5t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 110 caps, 15pts (3t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 59 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 57 caps, 60 pts (12t)

1 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 72 caps, 10pts (2t)

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 59 caps, 70pts (14t)

17 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 16 caps, 0 pts

18 – Vincent Koch (Stade Francais) – 42 caps, 0 pts

19 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 24 caps, 5 pts (1t)

20 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 67 caps, 30 pts (6t)

21 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 66 caps, 15 pts (3t)

22 – Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks) – 2 caps, 0 pts

23 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps, 19 pts (8c, 1p)

 

No place in the Kiwi side for the two chiefs main players of the season in DMCK and Narawa. Telea, who has been in fantastic form, in instead of Narawa. Telea is more of a hungry winger who comes in off his wing and gets involved. He can offload in a shoebox, though hasnt the out and out pace that Narawa has. He has nearly 5 inches on kolbe but wouldn't be known for his aerial prowess. On the other wing will jordon against mapimpi is intriguing in itself.

South Africa will certainly be confident they can take the ABs up front. it will be a big ask of debutant tamati Williams to deal with veteran vincent koch for the last 30 mins. When you look at the pure size and bulk of 19, 20 and 21 off the bench for SA its genuinely intimidating. At 19 and 20 NZ are giving up 13 cms and 6 kgs alone (to go alone with the 5cms and 4 kg theyre already down at blindside)

The bookies started at -8 before the teams were named, and are at -5 to NZ now. A double result of NZ - SA at 9/1 is looking mightily attractive.

sydthebeat

Wallabies team to play Argentina at CommBank Stadium, Sydney on Saturday 15 July, 7:45pm AEST 

1. James Slipper (c) (128 Tests)
2. David Porecki (11 Tests)
3. Allan Alaalatoa (65 Tests)
4. Richie Arnold (1 Test)
5. Will Skelton (25 Tests)
6. Jed Holloway (10 Tests)
7. Fraser McReight (10 Tests)
8. Rob Valetini (31 Tests)
9. Nic White (60 Tests)
10. Quade Cooper (77 Tests)
11. Marika Koroibete (52 Tests)
12. Samu Kerevi (42 Tests)
13. Len Ikitau (27 Tests)
14. Mark Nawaqanitawase (3 Tests)
15. Tom Wright (24 Tests) 

Finishers

1. Jordan Uelese (16 Tests)
2. Angus Bell (20 Tests)
3. Pone Fa’amausili (3 Tests)
4. Matt Philip (27 Tests)
5. Rob Leota (13 Tests)
6. Josh Kemeny*
7. Tate McDermott (22 Tests)
8. Carter Gordon (1 Test)

*denotes uncapped

Argentina

15. Emiliano Boffelli

14. Rodrigo Isgro

13. Lucio Cinti

12. Jeronimo De La Fuente

11. Mateo Carreras

10. Santiago Carreras

9. Gonzalo Bertranou

8. Juan Martin Gonzalez

7. Santiago Grondona

6. Pablo Matera

5. Tomas Lavanini

4. Matias Alemanno

3. Francisco Gomez Kodela

2. Julian Montoya (capt)

1. Thomas Gallo

Replacements: 16. Agustin Creevy, 17. Hahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18. Eduardo Bello, 19. Lucas Paulos, 20. Rodrigo Bruni, 21. Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22. Nicolas Sanchez, 23. Matias Moroni

much better back line for aussie this weekend. Kerevi is on another planet as a 12 compared to Hodge. Nawaqanitawase is a complete upgrade on vunivalu as well.

What should be a routine win for the aussies is left as a question mark because somehow Eddie Jones has made a team of absolute athletes look like a kicking heavy poorer version of england. If they throw the ball around they will win by 20 points here.

AbusesToilets

Very surprised at DMC being dropped. I know they have a surfeit of players capable of double jobbing between 10 and 15, but dropping him and having Clarke on the bench is wild.

Yeah_Right

@TheRona thanks for creating the thread. I was thinking that someone really should create one but I'm far to lazy to do it myself 🤣

Former Former Former

I've only just seen the video of Sam Cane kicking the Argentinian fan.

Surely he's going to face some sort of sanction?

Edit: when I heard he'd "tripped" the guy I thought, fair play, but he absolutely leathered him.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849904#Comment_120849904

Going by the sexton incident we might hear about it in 2025

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849904#Comment_120849904

Reading the thread on Reddit, crazy the amount of people cheering him for assaulting the lad.

Cookiemunster

Do we know if Etzebeth is going to play yet after the death of his father?

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849904#Comment_120849904

Fan?

pitch invaders are fans now?

pickarooney

Do they stop being fans when they cross the barrier?

Former Former Former

It was a teenager having a bit of a laugh. Not sure the 'real fans' argument applies here.

Anyway, I see now that SANZAAR already cleared him within a day or two and without any need for a hearing. No surprise there I guess. If only EPCR were as efficient :)

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120850669#Comment_120850669

I was kinda hoping he'd get suspended and ruled out of the RWC. It would have strengthened the ABs loose forward trio and given us a better captain.

phog

It's crazy he didn't get a ban, no sympathy for the pitch invader either but afaik it was after the game so less of an issue.

I remember one of our knock out games (possibly Perpignan) in the old Lansdowne Rd and a Munster fan decided to run across the field during a break in play, I was hoping a player would take him out.

AbusesToilets

I don't like the trend of hyper aggressive take downs for pitch invaders, always strikes as being way over the top

Yeah_Right

My mate's dad got smacked on his bare arse a couple of times by one of the Chappell brothers when he streaked a cricket match between Aus and NZ in the 70s or 80s. There was quite a famous photo of it and years later he got the Chappell to autograph it. It was framed in the living room.

pickarooney

Y'all ready for this?

TheRona

All Blacks have come out firing

Brief_Lives

will jordan... unreal stuff

pickarooney

Telea looks extremely dangerous

TheRona

SA completely at sea. They need to get their hands on the ball.

Brief_Lives

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120853472#Comment_120853472

he got beaten in the air easily there

TheRona

Lomu-esque try from Frizell.

NZ absolutely destroying SA with their kicking game.

Brief_Lives

quick hands quick hands quick hands.... great stuff from the kiwis

pickarooney

Clock RFC looking worried

TheRona

That's a knock on. No control, no pressure, went towards the dead ball line.

Brief_Lives

agreed

pickarooney

These restarts are brutal/fantastic

pickarooney

Why are SHs allowed tackle without the ball?

TheRona

Free kick against NZ for trying to create a gap at the lineout when SA keep closing it. Ridiculous.

Brief_Lives

Faf kicking?

pickarooney

Take the points, immediately lose 3 points to the shittiest of penalties

TheRona

Shame SA couldn't convert that territory and possession at the end

Former Former Former

Boks steadied the ship very well but they had a lot of possession in the last 15 minutes and didn't do a lot with it.

pickarooney

The title looks like a formality. Can't wait for the WC opener

Brief_Lives

First 20 mins of that game was brilliant from the kiwis. Will Jordan and Shannon Frizell ruled the roost. Boks had no answer to them. second 20 mins the boks bashed their way back in. Faf playing some great rugby.

TheRona

Unlucky for Jordan. That guy is unreal.

Brief_Lives

Will Jordan is scary with ball in hand.

TheRona

Player rolling away gets penalised for not rolling away. Sounds about right.

Brief_Lives

Faf gone off? weird what happened there.

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120853623#Comment_120853623

I'm assuming it's when he tripped over Retallick as he rolled away from a ruck.

Brief_Lives

kiwis gone to sleep this half..

TheRona

I thought SA took that ball back into their 22, then cleared it way up the pitch.

Brief_Lives

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120853626#Comment_120853626

yea, saw that... not sure how he hurt himself doing that. but anyway..

Kolbe taking the conversion. fair play to him.

TheRona

That looked a mile forward

TheRona

It was a mile forward....there was no forward momentum. It's become ridiculous what they're allowing these days.

Captain_Crash

I was actually typing this after 15 mins but didn’t post it because I thought I’d make a fool of myself, but I thought NZ came out of the blocks so quick that if SA just stay in it NZ will be gassed and on the back foot by the end. I’m not saying the boks will win, but NZ are huffing and puffing now

amacca

Cracking try...anyone else think the bok passes in the lead up are very borderline for forward passes or is the camera perspective? I keep jumping out of the couch shouting forward pass for both teams...

If not its almost right on the edge a scary amount of time....

TheRona

SA players who are tackling are being allowed to try to jackal straight away. The breakdown has become very messy.

Brief_Lives

Classic Raynal

Brief_Lives

Boks look offside all the time.