By Paul Dobson Fri, 28 Aug 2009 www.rugby365.com
The triumphant play the desperate when South Africa play Australia at Subiaco Oval in Perth. It’s hard to decide which of the two is in the better position – the confident (overconfident?) triumphant or the determined desperate.
Australia have lost two excellent players in Nathan Sharpe with his leadership and strength and Berrick Barnes with his immense skill. Will that make the desperate all the more determined? Australian sportsmen – Ashes notwithstanding – are fighters and unlikely to lie down even in Perth, a sort of South African enclave.
The Springboks on the other hand have their stars available, including Schalk Burger who comes back from suspension, but will they be playing with one hand on the Tri-Nations Trophy and one eye on New Zealand? If they take their eye off the ball they are well on the way to handing the trophy to the All Blacks.
So far the Springboks have won all three of their Tri-Nations matches and done so without allowing their opponents a bonus point for being honourable losers and yet have won more convincingly than the score in each case. But those matches were all at home. Now they are away. They travelled late to avoid being away for too long, for of all top teams in the world South Africans travel most, furthest and for longest.
The Springboks know that they can beat the Wallabies but they were also taught last year in Durban that the Wallabies can beat them. That defeat brought a stinging riposte from the Springboks in Johannesburg.
The Springboks have made a change to their starting team that they were not forced to make. They have kept Morné Steyn and his boot at flyhalf but have brought Ruan Pienaar in for Frans Steyn, which should not weaken the side as they have brought in a better rugby brain for a bigger boot. The other change is on the bench where Schalk Burger replaces a slightly dicky Danie Rossouw. The changes are unlikely to weaken the side.
The Wallabies have made more changes. Two are enforced – Ryan Cross on for Barnes and Mark Chisholm for Sharpe. They have also brought in Peter Hynes and his high-ball skill for Drew Mitchell who has not been very energetic, and Ben Alexander for the pliable Al Baxter. Surprisingly after Robbie Deans’s threat of reprisals for illdiscipline yellow-card collector Richard Brown is still there. Brown against Burger could be quite colourful!
If the Springboks’ pack can put pressure on the Wallabies’ pack as they did at Newlands big Luke Burgess could again be rendered slow and clumsy while Will Genia may prove a snappy answer even to pressure.
At Newlands, with Ben Alexander at prop, the much criticised Australian pack dominated the scrums, but the Springboks won the line-outs and the post-tackle conflict. If that happens again the Wallabies are in trouble.
But what they proved at Newlands was that even with limited possession and confined territory the Wallabies were still able score excellent, creative tries, both with ease from set pieces.
The Wallabies are going to need ball. They are also going to need discipline. They received three yellow cards at Newlands but even down to 13 men they kept the Springboks out. Their defence is excellent. In their three defeats they have ceded only three tries – one a match.
Players to Watch: You will watch Matt Giteau (Australia), of course. He was overshadowed against the All Blacks but then his side had meagre fare to feed on. Fourie du Preez (South Africa) who will take a lot of responsibility in his calm, efficient way – one of the most effective footballers in the rugby game.
Head to Head: There is Morné Steyn (South Africa) v the Back Three (Australia) – when the bombs start falling. There will be another round of new boy Heinrich Brüssow (South Africa) against old hand George Smith (Australia). Oddly enough the new boy may just be more likely to keep his head than the old hand. Juan Smith (South Africa) against Rocky Elsom (Australia) – tall trees in the line-outs, hard runners with the ball and relentless in the tackle.
Recent results
2009: South Africa won at Newlands 29-17
2008: South Africa won 53-8 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
2008: Australia won 27-15 at Absa Stadium, Durban
2008: Australia won 16-9 at Subiaco Oval, Perth
2007: South Africa won 22-19 at Newlands
2007: Australia won 25-17 at Stadium Australia, Sydney
2006: South Africa won 24-16 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
2006: Australia won 20-18 at Stadium Australia, Sydney
2006: Australia won 49-0 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
2005: South Africa won 22-19 at Subiaco Oval, Perth
2005: South Africa won 22-16 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2005: South Africa won 33-20 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
2005: Australia won 30-12 at Stadium Australia, Sydney
Prediction: South Africa to win by more than 10.
Teams
Australia: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Stirling Mortlock (captain), 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 George Smith, 6 Richard Brown, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 James Horwill, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 David Pocock, 20 Will Genia, 21 Peter Hynes, 22 James O’Connor.
South Africa: 15 Ruan Pienaar, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit (captain), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Frans Steyn.
Date: Saturday, 29 August 2009
Kick-off: 18.05 (10.05 GMT)
Venue: Subiaco Oval, Perth
Expected weather conditions: Scattered clouds, clearing, with a high of 14°C , dropping to 5°C and a westerly wind of 36 km/h, dropping
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
TMO: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
@Pietman – @SA Barbarians –
More more,
en nee pietman gaan nie R’burg toe nie….weer was lekker koud vanoggend, ysige windjie het gewaai maar voel nou akl baie beter….
Done the registering etc all correctly I think…let me know if not…
Howzit guys
Glad I found you after leaving the other place (cant mention,wont mention names).
Looking forward to plenty of humorous and knowledgeable insight not rumour , innuendo, speculation and wishful dreaming.
mike
@Mieliepapmike – 32
Welcome in our new friendly neighborhood of choice for discernable bloggers!
Something in your nick tells me you’re not from Cape Town? 🙂
32@Mieliepapmike – Welcome Mieliepap, I see you have correctly added your missing info on the profile….
See you’re in the UK… or from there…
Declare your Provincial and National Rugby allegiances for us, friend !
only “temporary” resident in the UK….imprisoned here by way of marriage, 25 years till I retire and will bring family back to SA – That was the deal I struck with my wife – retire to SA or I aint doing it. Originally from Sandton (posh) but schooled in Bloem (someone had to be). Will never ever ever support the Poms (except against the Shackledraggers)and have green and gold blood in my veins. My kids are programmed to support the Boks or Proteas or banana banana and everyone knows when their is SA sport on the TV I come first.
Provincially Bulls (I used to work in P.Town) but soft spot for the Cheetahs.
35@Mieliepapmike – Did you attend Grey College in Bloem ? If so, as a border in Murray House, Brill House and Leigh House ?
@Mieliepapmike – Somebody was telling this morning about somebody he knows who is building a R10m house in Pta with one great view. One of the guys were listening and said “who the fck wants a R10m view of Pta?”. LMAO 😆
Pleased to say I was not at Grey (although I have nothing against Grey as such – finest rugby school in the world) Went to St Andrews which was much smaller but predominantly English. Only produced 1 player of note that I can think of, Guy Kebble who did some of his high school there. As did his late brother Brett. I think he redid matric at Bishops so they have claimed him.
Any plans to invite thetickler and others over ? need to have someone to pick on. What happened to fern and K9 etc ??
@Mieliepapmike – here i am!!!
38@Mieliepapmike – We have 97 bloggers already, you included, many regular faces… Fern is also here…. but he’s on a leash ! Hehehe
38@Mieliepapmike – I did not attend Grey College either…. but that school runs deep in my family…. both grandpa’s, my late dad and his brothers, my own elder brother…
Hell, my late mom went to Oranje Meisies as well…
Morning all, am so looking forward to the game tomorrow but the Sharks/province game is going to be stressfull and nothing but total annihilation will please me.
Wish our first team were playing.
I hope everybody’s SuperBru picks are done…. and I hope that the Bokke rise to expectations !
In addition, I hope the Bulls “gaffel” the hapless Lions…
Regarding the other matches… Tjarks should beat the WP in the Shark Tank, Cheetahs might take revenge on Kwas in Kimberley (I think Kwas have shot their bolt) and Boland should be too strong for the LUI-Donkies, who are totally out of their depth in the CC Premier Division
43@grootblousmile – If you know of any good shrinks please forward their details.
I am about to predict an opposition win over the Lions on Superbru for the first time ever. Never thought it would come to this! I’m devestated.
Guess there are no shrinks in this part of Africa, so a very long and in depth discussion with one Henry James Morgan (aka the Captain) will have to suffice!
Bulls by 18?
Hallo Trup, Trippels.
Die WP is die beste! Sharks take cover!
Hello all.
Scrumdown–pick against the Lions? Now you have alienated Ed & K9.
As for the weekend, Sharks to eat the mountain goats, Bulls to gore the Lions, Freestate to take the Kwas, Boland over Leopards and the bokke to drill the Aussies.
Wish the Bokke put a flawless display on show and not have such a disjointed attack.
45@isigidi –
Jis buurman –jy groet nog voor ek tik!
Sharks to take cover? Ja,dalk in die biertent nadat julle pakgekry het…
44@Scrumdown – Jeeeeeeez, your Lions bretheren here on RT are seriously confident in a Lions win (personally I think it is a show of false bravado)…. and the Bulls are playing a lot of youngsters….
Then again, the Lions back line does not inspire any fear at all… the loosies battle should be a good battle, good loosies both sides… locks… Bulls locks are probably slightly better (not by much)… but the Lions front row should have the wood over the Bulls front row…
48@grootblousmile – Week after week I show faith, and week after week my Superbru group have the last laugh.
Only consolation is that Inspector Gadget has been dropped, but I expect a torrid time for his young replacement.
Still, if we’re going to “re-build”, let’s do it properly. The season is probably farked for us anyway, so blood the future now and get them battle hardened. Any wins against the other members of the “big 5” will be a bonus IMO.
@trupisero – 46
Where was the Sharks appetite during the first CC match? They looked like gold fish in a bowl as Chinese fishing trawlers crowded the harbor to take on cargoes of shark fins 🙂
Difficult game to call, this time though
I have read that JF is determined to go to the Cape, he deserves the same amount of money as BH. With BH in the Cape i wasnt to concerned but JF is another story.
50@SA Barbarians – Are you not concerned about defensive capabilities of most players in your WP backline this weekend??
I will list them from worst defender to best defender… Chavanga, Petersen, GifAplontjie, Grant, Newman, De Jongh, Duvenhage…
Worrysome times SAB !
@SA Barbarians – Nasty nasty, thats why you need a good hideing, show you who is boss 🙂
@grootblousmile – 52
There are defensive issues gbs. I am hoping for the forwards to deny them much ball and on scoring more points than they concede through soft tries. An early substitution of the temporary “captain” may be too much to ask for 🙂
GO, Brock the Rock!!!! 🙂
@Treehugger – 53
Nasty? Me? NO, never!!!
I was overcome with sympathy and “winners remorse” after that game 🙂
@SA Barbarians – There is hope that there are still a few lovely people left in the Cape and not all are plonkers but arnt you really a Natalian 😎
@Treehugger – 56
All the lovely Cape rugby bloggers are on this site, TH 🙂
Yea I was born and raised in the last outpost – left after school, and have been in CT for many moons now.
@SA Barbarians – Ja ou Brock Barberian. Is jy terug jou besige undercover Leeu.
@Ed_the_Lion – 58
Howzit Ed, Edd, Eddie!!!!
Jou lanklaas raak geloop, hoe gaan dinge daar by jou?
@SA Barbarians – Ag SAB. Hier gaan dinge net elkedag beter. Hoe gaan dinge daar by jou?
Users Online
Total 93 users including 0 member, 93 guests, 0 bot online
Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm
No Counter as from 31 October 2009: 39,455,831 Page Impressions
_