Official Tri-Nations thread

[Burpey]

Well said, Garvs. I think that Adam Freier is the best Australian hooker in terms of general play. However, if they're going to overlook him and Jeremy Paul so they can 'improve' the scrum and then get dominated like that, I don't know what the selectors are thinking.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

I still can't understand how people can say Carter is in the class of Grant Fox and Andrew Mehrtens though.

Aside from his kicking game he's already better than these two (and really the All Blacks no longer play a territory game so tactical kicking isn't as important as cross field kicks, for example...) He had an off game, but it was a fine a defensive effort as you'll see from a number ten. We always put our trust in Foxy, but he was boring as hell... Mehrts was as honest a footballer as you'll see, but he never took over like Carter can.

 

[Sw1fty]

Australia have named their side to play South Africa is Brisbane.



Australia: Chris Latham, Mark Gerrard, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau, Lote Tuqiri, Stephen Larkham, George Gregan, Scott Fava, George Smith, Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman, Nathan Sharpe, Guy Shepherdson, Jeremy Paul, Greg Holmes.

Reserves: Sean Hardman, Al Baxter, Mark Chisholm, Phil Waugh, Sam Cordingley, Mat Rogers, Clyde Rathbone.

 

[age_master]

Good to see Giteau back into the starting side

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wow. As impressive as Oz looked, yer Saffies were pretty awful. Kinda fear for them in NZ next week.

 

[GotSpin]

Man the saffies sucked major poo.

Learn to tackle

 

[social]

Wow. As impressive as Oz looked, yer Saffies were pretty awful. Kinda fear for them in NZ next week.

SA were hoorendous - 49 nil and the scoreboard flattered them

 

[age_master]

Yeah i think the Wallabies took it abit easy in the second half. All the Wallabies played pretty well in the first half, alot better then last week but still alot to do if NZ are going to be challenged.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

For a sport that has at least four cricketing nations heavily invested in it, this thread has been remarkably quiet.

 

[GotSpin]

Yeah i think the Wallabies took it abit easy in the second half. All the Wallabies played pretty well in the first half, alot better then last week but still alot to do if NZ are going to be challenged.

Not to mention half of the players were benched

 

[Smudge]

I was going to watch the second half, but popped out to the lounge and noticed the half time score. I didn't see the point in watching after that.

The Boks backline is so close to a joke, it's not funny. Jaco VDW isn't a 10's backside, while White's persistence in ignoring Luke Watson is just one of his baffling selections.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I was going to watch the second half, but popped out to the lounge and noticed the half time score. I didn't see the point in watching after that.

The Boks backline is so close to a joke, it's not funny. Jaco VDW isn't a 10's backside, while White's persistence in ignoring Luke Watson is just one of his baffling selections.

Admittedly Jaco had an absolute Barry Crocker yesterday, but he is a talented ball player. He impressed me no end playing for Leicester in the season he had there. Not test Rugby, I know, but SA have def played worse stand-offs in living memory. Was it Louis Coen who played against us in the 2003 WC? Now he really was a jackass.

I think JVDW is probably really a full-back or 2nd 5/8th played out of position for mine tho.

 

[TT Boy]

New Zealand for me, kicks off at 8.30 am UK time so hopefully the gym will have it on.

I backed South Africa to win the trophy a couple of months back, got pretty good odds. So up the Springboks though their recent performances against Scotland and France were pretty deplorable and I believe both Jean de Villiers and Bakkies Botha are both out injured, so not good signs.

 

[Sw1fty]

Graham Henry has made eight changes to his starting XV to take on South Africa in their second Philips Tri Nations rugby clash in Wellington on Saturday night.

NEW ZEALAND: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Mils Muliaina, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Scott Hamilton, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Piri Weepu; 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Reuben Thorne, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Anton Oliver, 1 Neemia Tialata. Reserves: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Greg Somerville, 18 Greg Rawlinson, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Jimmy Cowan; 22 Luke McAlister.

South Africa have made five changes to their starting lineup to face the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday night but Springboks coach Jake White denies he's hitting the panic button.

SOUTH AFRICA: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James/Meyer Bosman, 9 Fourie du Preez; 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Solly Tyibilika, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Os du Randt. Reserves: 16 Danie Coetzee, 17 Eddie Andrews, 18 Johann Muller, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 Enrico Januarie, 21 James/Bosman, 22 Breyton Paulse/JP Pietersen

 

[BoyBrumby]

Replacing your scrum-half & 5/8th after a 49-0 drubbing looks llike something not unlike panic.

And The ABs are now clearly the Harlem Globetrotters of Union; playing Reuben Thorne must be the equivalent of spinning the ball on your finger!

 

[age_master]

I reakon the All Blacks will win by 40 points, Springboks will be much improved, but the Blacks are far better then the Wallabies at the moment

 

[Smudge]

Actually, BB, Thorne had an oustanding Super 14 and deserves his recall.

 

[steds]

For a sport that has at least four cricketing nations heavily invested in it, this thread has been remarkably quiet.

Yawnion.

 

[Smudge]

Yawnion.

Look at the poor little "stop, drop and roll" fan with the inferiority complex.

 

[James]

If the expanded Tri Nations is going to work, the match this weekend really needs to be competitive. I’m getting a bit tired of us playing Australia and South Africa year in, year out…..