Planet Rugby Forum

The Springboks look set to play a Test against Japan next year which will serve as preparation for the Rugby World Cup in the same country.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springb ... e-20181126

Pool B
New Zealand
South Africa
Italy
Namibia
Canada

21 September 2019: New Zealand v South Africa - International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama
22 September 2019: Italy v Namibia - Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiōsaka
26 September 2019: Italy v Canada - Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka
28 September 2019: South Africa v Namibia - City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota
2 October 2019: New Zealand v Canada - Oita Stadium, Ōita
4 October 2019: South Africa v Italy - Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi
6 October 2019: New Zealand v Namibia - Tokyo Stadium, Chōfu
8 October 2019: South Africa v Canada - Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe
12 October 2019: New Zealand v Italy - City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota
13 October 2019: Namibia v Canada - Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi

Rassie is panicking. He needs more games to convince himself and this is probably why he has so many boks in the barbarians

Might have to place a bet on this one for another Japanese win.

EOYT Squad as a starting point:

Hookers:
Schalk Brits (Hooker, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 11)
Malcolm Marx (Hooker, Xerox Golden Lions, 24)
Bongi Mbonambi (Hooker, DHL Western Province, 26)

Props
Thomas du Toit (Prop, Cell C Sharks, 9)
Steven Kitshoff (Prop, DHL Western Province, 37)
Vincent Koch (Prop, Saracens, England, 13)
Wilco Louw (Prop, DHL Western Province, 12)
Frans Malherbe (Prop, DHL Western Province, 29)
Trevor Nyakane (Prop, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 37)

Locks:
Lood de Jager (Lock, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 38)
Pieter-Steph du Toit (Loose forward / Lock, DHL Western Province, 46)
Eben Etzebeth (Lock, DHL Western Province, 75)
Franco Mostert (Lock, Gloucester, England, 29)
JD Schickerling (Lock, DHL Western Province, uncapped)
RG Snyman (Lock, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 12)

Loose forwards:
Siya Kolisi (captain – Loose forward, DHL Western Province, 41)
Francois Louw (Loose forward, Bath, England, 65t)
Sikhumbuzo Notshe (Loose forward, DHL Western Province, 6)
Duane Vermeulen (Loose forward, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 46)
Warren Whiteley (Loose forward, Xerox Golden Lions, 23)

Scrumhalves:
Faf de Klerk (Scrumhalf, Sale Sharks, 21)
Embrose Papier (Scrumhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 7)
Louis Schreuder (Scrumhalf, Cell C Sharks, 1)
Ivan van Zyl (Scrumhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 6)

Flyhalves:
Elton Jantjies (Flyhalf, Xerox Golden Lions, 33)
Handré Pollard (Flyhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 39)
Damian Willemse (Flyhalf / Fullback, DHL Western Province, 5)

Centres:
Damian de Allende (Centre, DHL Western Province, 37)
André Esterhuizen (Centre, Cell C Sharks, 6)
Jesse Kriel (Centre, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 40)
Ruhan Nel (Centre, DHL Western province, upcapped)

Wings:
Gio Aplon (Wing / Fullback, Toyota Verblitz, Japan, 17)
Aphiwe Dyantyi (Wing, Xerox Golden Lions, 13)
Cheslin Kolbe (Wing / Fullback, Toulouse, France, 7)
Sbu Nkosi (Wing, Cell C Sharks, 6)
Sergeal Petersen (Wing, DHL Western Province, uncapped)

Fullback:
Willie le Roux (Fullback, Wasps, England, 53)

Other players in the mix:

Akker van der Merwe, Cell C Sharks
Beast Mtawarira, Cell C Sharks
Marco van Staden, Vodacom Blue Bulls
Jean-Luc du Preez, Cell C Sharks
Cyle Brink, Xerox Golden Lion
Lukhanyo Am, Cell C Sharks
Jan Serfontein, Montpellier, France
Frans Steyn, Montpellier, France
Bismarck du Plessis, Montpellier, France
Warrick Gelant, Vodacom Blue Bulls

No Willemse, Gelant ?

Wilson's Toffee wrote:No Willemse, Gelant ?

Willemse is there

Added Gelant

Jensrsa wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:No Willemse, Gelant ?

Willemse is there

Added Gelant

I still haven't seen the reason for the hype around Willemse...he can tackle yes...so can the rest of the team...maybe I have missed something that he did this year.
I watched him during the CC final and Junior utterly and completely outplayed him.
When he did carry the ball he tried to do everything himself , like in the Junior RWC.......which frustrated me no end. In fact the Juniors played a lot better when he was not there....

Forgive me...its not a WP thing , but Fassi looks a lot more exciting and a greater prospect as a youngster.

No Faf?

Pole wrote:No Faf?

Fixed.

Didn't realised I missed him

Maybe Marco van Staden in the mix as well? I thought during the end of year tour we need a proper fetcher in the team. There were long spells where we were defending with no intent on stealing the ball.

handyman wrote:Maybe Marco van Staden in the mix as well? I thought during the end of year tour we need a proper fetcher in the team. There were long spells where we were defending with no intent on stealing the ball.

Added

Jensrsa wrote:28 September 2019: South Africa v Namibia - City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota

Ox's tissue supplies will be sorely tested.

sorCrer wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:28 September 2019: South Africa v Namibia - City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota

Ox's tissue supplies will be sorely tested.

He will buy a Toyota Land Cruiser if Namibia wins, there ...

Japan will be a serious threat make no mistake.......One loss besides the loss we will take against the ABs and we wont get out of the pool stage ......

Sards wrote:Japan will be a serious threat make no mistake.......One loss besides the loss we will take against the ABs and we wont get out of the pool stage ......

WILL we lose against the ABs ? Don't you think they will throw the game, to ensure we beat Ireland and face them again, in the final ?

Wilson's Toffee wrote:

sorCrer wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:28 September 2019: South Africa v Namibia - City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota

Ox's tissue supplies will be sorely tested.

He will buy a Toyota Land Cruiser if Namibia wins, there ...

Now, if only Toyota sponsored Namibia

Jensrsa wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:

sorCrer wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:28 September 2019: South Africa v Namibia - City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota

Ox's tissue supplies will be sorely tested.

He will buy a Toyota Land Cruiser if Namibia wins, there ...

Now, if only Toyota sponsored Namibia

Oom Harold and his union is a disgrace ....

BTW - despite team sponsorships, Toyota manged to sponsor all the main Springboks for a while, yet. Vic and Bakkies still flounce around in huge Land Cruisers .

Wilson's Toffee wrote:BTW - despite team sponsorships, Toyota manged to sponsor all the main Springboks for a while, yet. Vic and Bakkies still flounce around in huge Land Cruisers .

Probably the best 4x4xfar

Aparently the old Land Cruisers are still used in Dubai as support vehicles on the desert trips to pull out the other 4x4s that get stuck in the sand

My 3rd car was a Toyota, has not changed brands since.

Jensrsa wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:BTW - despite team sponsorships, Toyota manged to sponsor all the main Springboks for a while, yet. Vic and Bakkies still flounce around in huge Land Cruisers .

Probably the best 4x4xfar

Aparently the old Land Cruisers are still used in Dubai as support vehicles on the desert trips to pull out the other 4x4s that get stuck in the sand

I pulled a toyota out of the dunes in Walvis with my Mitsubishi.........When I got it out we released air from his tyres and he went merrily on his way.

Jensrsa wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:BTW - despite team sponsorships, Toyota manged to sponsor all the main Springboks for a while, yet. Vic and Bakkies still flounce around in huge Land Cruisers .

Probably the best 4x4xfar

Aparently the old Land Cruisers are still used in Dubai as support vehicles on the desert trips to pull out the other 4x4s that get stuck in the sand

I actually prefer the Nissan Patrol, but had a Cruiser or two. Cannot imagine modern Africa without them.

Sards wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:BTW - despite team sponsorships, Toyota manged to sponsor all the main Springboks for a while, yet. Vic and Bakkies still flounce around in huge Land Cruisers .

Probably the best 4x4xfar

Aparently the old Land Cruisers are still used in Dubai as support vehicles on the desert trips to pull out the other 4x4s that get stuck in the sand

I pulled a toyota out of the dunes in Walvis with my Mitsubishi.........When I got it out we released air from his tyres and he went merrily on his way.

My son used to act as recovery vehicle driver for a modern Toyota club of yuppies on a trip in the Caprivi.
He drove a rear wheel drive Isuzu with a diff lock.

Now he is invested in Toyotas.

Wilson's Toffee wrote:

Sards wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:BTW - despite team sponsorships, Toyota manged to sponsor all the main Springboks for a while, yet. Vic and Bakkies still flounce around in huge Land Cruisers .

Probably the best 4x4xfar

Aparently the old Land Cruisers are still used in Dubai as support vehicles on the desert trips to pull out the other 4x4s that get stuck in the sand

I pulled a toyota out of the dunes in Walvis with my Mitsubishi.........When I got it out we released air from his tyres and he went merrily on his way.

My son used to act as recovery vehicle driver for a modern Toyota club of yuppies on a trip in the Caprivi.
He drove a rear wheel drive Isuzu with a diff lock.

Now he is invested in Toyotas.

I think Toyota is the one to get, very reliable, great re-sale and dealers and workshops everywhere. Expensive tho.
Isuzu is more like a bakkie, rough and tough, super reliable, but showing it's age now.
I like the Ford, but the gearbox is questionable.
Amarok? The only things that come in 2 liters, should be Coke and milk.
Nissan Navara's running costs are very expensive.
The rest (Mitsubishi, Nissan NP300, GWM, Fiat Fullback) are not worth it imo.

Toyota and Ford/Mazda. Expensive, all of them. Mazda unpopular, but a better gear box.

Isuzu is old, yes. Still a contender. Nissan NP300 is a workhorse, old though. And apparently very unsafe in head to heads (as a fleet work horse unbeatable, though, if you crunch the numbers. But old...)
Navarra is a yuppie bakkie, coil springs at the rear. Amarok another yuppie. Not made for work.
Mitsubishi ? ever tried to get engine parts for a Mitsubishi ? And they are married to Nissan, these days. Or were, Goshn's arrest has set the cat amongst the pigeons.

GWM/others, generic bakkies, are just that - generic. Great value for money, sometimes even decent performance, but basically a thing to drive onto the ground and sell for scrap. Or rebuild over and over.

Edit: These do not include the hard 4x4s, though. Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol and Landy Defender. And of course Mercedes Geländewagen.

Of the "ordinary" vehicles there I prefer the Nissan Patrol, (which beats the Cruiser by a hair's breadth) In both Bakkie and SUV configuration. Pajero a very distant fourth.
The Geländwagen is way beyond my price class, though. Should be first.

Marcel Coetzee?

BokJock wrote:Marcel Coetzee?

A Land Cruiser with a welded rear axle. Still good, but who knows ? He just returned to the fray after injury. Same as Goosen and Serfontein.

Wilson's Toffee wrote:

BokJock wrote:Marcel Coetzee?

A Land Cruiser with a welded rear axle. Still good, but who knows ? He just returned to the fray after injury. Same as Goosen and Serfontein.

I was thinking more like a Nissan Xtrail. Big and comfortable but vok knows when you're going to have to replace the diff.

assfly wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:

BokJock wrote:Marcel Coetzee?

A Land Cruiser with a welded rear axle. Still good, but who knows ? He just returned to the fray after injury. Same as Goosen and Serfontein.

I was thinking more like a Nissan Xtrail. Big and comfortable but vok knows when you're going to have to replace the diff.

Eish ...

sorCrer wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:28 September 2019: South Africa v Namibia - City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota

Ox's tissue supplies will be sorely tested.

Don't forget, there is a 'real chance' the Boks could lose this one.

handyman wrote: The rest (Mitsubishi, Nissan NP300, GWM, Fiat Fullback) are not worth it imo.

Take a look at the Paris Dakar and who the winners have been

Sards wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:

Wilson's Toffee wrote:BTW - despite team sponsorships, Toyota manged to sponsor all the main Springboks for a while, yet. Vic and Bakkies still flounce around in huge Land Cruisers .

Probably the best 4x4xfar

Aparently the old Land Cruisers are still used in Dubai as support vehicles on the desert trips to pull out the other 4x4s that get stuck in the sand

I pulled a toyota out of the dunes in Walvis with my Mitsubishi.........When I got it out we released air from his tyres and he went merrily on his way.

When my uncle was a young apprentice living in KZN he drove an old el camino with a modified double rear axle. He use to pull out vaalies that got stuck on the beach for extra cash.
 

Those old El Caminos were wondrous vehicles. My old dad almost killed himself when his old 6-cylinder 4.1l had a front suspension failure and went off the road, badly. GMSA has put out a recall for all of those, beforehand, for front suspension rebuilds (factory design fault) but the old man ignored it.

Would still like to get my hands on one of the old things, today.

Here is the list of Bok records for performances in full last year preceding a World Cup one:

1994 (Ian McIntosh/Kitch Christie):
P9 W5 D1 L3 – win percentage 55.56.
World Cup the next year: Winners

1998 (Nick Mallett):
P12 W11 D0 L1 – win percentage 91.66
World Cup the next year: Losing semi-finalists, bronze medal

2002 (Rudolf Straeuli):
P11 W5 D0 L6 – win percentage 45.45
World Cup the next year: Losing quarter-finalists

2006 (Jake White):
P12 W5 D0 L7 – win percentage 41.66
World Cup the next year: Winners

2010 (Peter de Villiers):
P14 W8 D0 L6 – win percentage 57.14
World Cup the next year: Losing quarter-finalists

2014 (Heyneke Meyer):
P13 W9 D0 L4 – win percentage 69.23
World Cup the next year: Losing semi-finalists, bronze medal

2018 (Rassie Erasmus):
P14 W7 D0 L7 – win percentage 50.00
World Cup the next year: to be decided

My prediction...out in the Quarter finals

Our style of play suits a knock-out game where teams usually play more conservatively.

That first game against the AB's is going to be massive. But you have to think that if we lose that and face Ireland in a quarter, that the pressure/expectation will be on them to win.

At the moment we are nowhere near good enough to win a world cup. However any of the top 6 or so teams in the world have the ability to beat the others and the AB's are more vulnerable than they have been for many years. If the team continues to grow under Rassie we will be in with a shout.

Sards wrote:My prediction...out in the Quarter finals

We can still hope that Ireland continue their horrendous run at the World Cup, if we get passed them I reckon we will make the final.

beachboy wrote:Our style of play suits a knock-out game where teams usually play more conservatively.

That first game against the AB's is going to be massive. But you have to think that if we lose that and face Ireland in a quarter, that the pressure/expectation will be on them to win.

At the moment we are nowhere near good enough to win a world cup. However any of the top 6 or so teams in the world have the ability to beat the others and the AB's are more vulnerable than they have been for many years. If the team continues to grow under Rassie we will be in with a shout.

Yes, good shout. I'd say we're in with a good chance of winning at least 1 of those games. I'd prefer the first one.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has given his backing to the team’s captain Siya Kolisi.

After being named the first black Springbok captain, Kolisi led the Boks in 13 of their 14 Tests in 2018.

The Boks won seven of the 13 Tests under Kolisi’s leadership and Erasmus has backed the 27-year-old heading into next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“There are still some people who would love to see the Boks fail... some people still upset about the past... Siya doesn’t get positive feedback everywhere he goes,” Erasmus told England’s Daily Mirror.

“But the way he's handled it so far... I’ve got no doubt that... barring injury or something really bad going wrong, he’ll be our captain through to Japan.”

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springb ... c-20181203