2025 Springbokke

[Blake]

I predict a match day squad with a 4-3 split.

?

My predict Rassie will play all the squad players that didn't get a run against Ireland vs Portugal next week.

So that gives us a backline of:
9. Reinach
10. Libbok
11. Mapimpi
12. Esterhuyse
13. Am
14. Van Der Merwe
15. Fassi

With 3 backs on the bench:
21. van den Berg
22. Hendrikse
23. Sasha

[_Os_]

8 players on the bench these days chief. 4-3 isn't possible anymore.

The new OomPB is loading.

[Blake]

8 players on the bench these days chief. 4-3 isn't possible anymore.

The new OomPB is loading.

My head wasn't mathing correctly.
5-3 bench then, my apologies.

[Sards]

Tactical blunder with small wingers. One has to wonder why Mapimpi wasn't used rather. Or even Fassi who is supreme there

Happy with Sasha. Bit suspect under the high ball

[OomStruisbaai]

Tactical blunder with small wingers. One has to wonder why Mapimpi wasn't used rather. Or even Fassi who is supreme there

Happy with Sasha. Bit suspect under the high ball

Just last week they were heroes. Mapimpi fell in the Groot Gat.

[Sards]

Tactical blunder with small wingers. One has to wonder why Mapimpi wasn't used rather. Or even Fassi who is supreme there

Happy with Sasha. Bit suspect under the high ball

Just last week they were heroes. Mapimpi fell in the Groot Gat.

Ireland found them out

[Sandstorm]

Tactical blunder with small wingers. One has to wonder why Mapimpi wasn't used rather. Or even Fassi who is supreme there

Happy with Sasha. Bit suspect under the high ball

Fassi is good on defensive high ball. Going forward he’s just as poor as any other Bok at present.

[boere wors]

any news on Sous' injury?

[OomStruisbaai]

Full Springbok squad:

Props: Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ox Nche, Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Frans Malherbe, Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane, Thomas du Toit.
Hookers: Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx , Johan Grobbelaar, Andre-Hugo Venter.
Locks: Eben Etzebeth, Salmaan Moerat, RG Snyman.
Loose forwards: Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden, Phepsi Buthelezi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ben-Jason Dixon, Evan Roos, Ruan Venter, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese.
Scrumhalves: Faf de Klerk, Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg.
Flyhalves: Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok.
Centres: Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel.
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Aphelele Fassi, Quan Horn.

[OomStruisbaai]

any news on Sous' injury?

However, two-time World Cup winner Franco Mostert and speedster Edwill van der Merwe have been ruled out due to injury, with the extent of their ailments set to be confirmed on Monday

[assfly]

Tactical blunder with small wingers. One has to wonder why Mapimpi wasn't used rather. Or even Fassi who is supreme there

Happy with Sasha. Bit suspect under the high ball

Our kick chase was very ineffective. I'm not sure if it was just a lack of aggression, or how Ireland got away with blocking them so well, or both.

[assfly]

My take on the Boks after the Ireland series.

1. We need to inject some youth into our starting lineups. By my calculations, our starting line up against Ireland had only 1 player under the age of 30, and at times it showed. Some players are starting to look a bit too comfortable. We have so much outrageous youthful talent, I don't want them sitting on the bench for the next 3 years.

2. We can't always rely on emotional energy to win games. I think that's what helped in the first test, but it was non-existent in the second. If Kolisi isn't going to be our captain in 2027, do we need to start looking around?

3. Despite losing the 2nd test, it still feels like we're in such a golden period of Bok rugby. Sold out stadiums, crowds chanting Rassie's name, hugely popular players. It feels like the best time to start experimenting, whilst there is still so much goodwill.

[Sandstorm]

Still too much box-kicking for 80 mins. There’s no Plan B when that fails. Even Williams came on and did the same thing.

“There’s a kid at 15. Skop hoog and put him under pressure, Manne!”
“Donder, kid can catch. Wat nou Rassie?”
“Skop hooer!”

[boere wors]

My take on the Boks after the Ireland series.

1. We need to inject some youth into our starting lineups. By my calculations, our starting line up against Ireland had only 1 player under the age of 30, and at times it showed. Some players are starting to look a bit too comfortable. We have so much outrageous youthful talent, I don't want them sitting on the bench for the next 3 years.

This!

[assfly]

Still too much box-kicking for 80 mins. There’s no Plan B when that fails. Even Williams came on and did the same thing.

I don't think the'res too much, it's just not being done properly. Our midgets were found out, they just couldn't get into the air and compete with the Irish jumpers. I think this is where we missed Mapimpi. We actually needed PSdT chasing up some of those kicks too.

Williams was much better than Faf when he came on. One of his box kicks gained us 60m and gave us the lineout.

[boere wors]

What went sctually wrong with pollards 2 goal line drop out attempts?! They were awful, barely fumbled 30 m and the first one resulted directly in Murrays try. Frans Steyn would have pounded them 60m away. Or James Lowe

[assfly]

What went sctually wrong with pollards 2 goal line drop out attempts?! They were awful, barely fumbled 30 m and the first one resulted directly in Murrays try. Frans Steyn would have pounded them 60m away. Or James Lowe

I actually quite like this rule. It really challenges the kicking team. Go long and you risk a drop kick or counter attack. Go short and you risk being turned-over and being put under pressure.

I think we take too long with ours, it's almost impossible to find open space once the team has set. I'd love to see us quick really quickly and get our wings attacking the space or catcher, instead of us slowly lumbering up field.

[Sards]

What went sctually wrong with pollards 2 goal line drop out attempts?! They were awful, barely fumbled 30 m and the first one resulted directly in Murrays try. Frans Steyn would have pounded them 60m away. Or James Lowe

I actually quite like this rule. It really challenges the kicking team. Go long and you risk a drop kick or counter attack. Go short and you risk being turned-over and being put under pressure.

I think we take too long with ours, it's almost impossible to find open space once the team has set. I'd love to see us quick really quickly and get our wings attacking the space or catcher, instead of us slowly lumbering up field.

Our chasers were very poor on the kick off. We kicked for the forwards to collect. Our wings weren't there at all.
Mind you. You wouldn't want to kick at Lowe with our small wings

I mentioned the issue with the size of our wings on another group and Kitshoff agreed with me. Seems he saw it the same way

[Sandstorm]

Agree Sards. Small, lightening fast wingers should be passed the ball in space, not forcing them to try to steal it 50/50 out of the sky!!

[assfly]

Our depth at lock is going to be tested. No Lood our Sous for the foreseeable future. I'm still not convinced Moerat is the long-term solution, but he probably deserves a shot.

Bongi's lineouts were pretty awful too. We may need to start Marx and give the youngsters a chance off the bench.

I love Kwagga, but those were not his two finest performances. We need to give Roos a start.

Faf and Pollard didn't quite click. I'd be inclined to give them a couple more games to get their heads around the new gameplan. But Libbok will also need a chance.

SMZ a mixed bag; incredible on attack but a couple of brainfarts that cost us. But overall he's earned his spot in the squad.

[Sandstorm]

I'd also like to see more youngsters brought through in the pack/9/10, but will the public accept losses this series? Portugal won't teach us anything, then it's straight into RC with Aus away, NZ Away and then NZ at home over next 3 weeks.

[Sards]

I'd also like to see more youngsters brought through in the pack/9/10, but will the public accept losses this series? Portugal won't teach us anything, then it's straight into RC with Aus away, NZ Away and then NZ at home over next 3 weeks.

I have no clue why they are starting Libbok against Portugal. Rassie is making some brain farts with his selections.
Playing Libbok there will teach us nothing except get all the Cape corps shouting for Pollard's head and for Libbok to start.
Libbok is a flake
It's very difficult to teach someone to have confidence. Impossible I would say.

[Sards]

Our depth at lock is going to be tested. No Lood our Sous for the foreseeable future. I'm still not convinced Moerat is the long-term solution, but he probably deserves a shot.

Bongi's lineouts were pretty awful too. We may need to start Marx and give the youngsters a chance off the bench.

I love Kwagga, but those were not his two finest performances. We need to give Roos a start.

Faf and Pollard didn't quite click. I'd be inclined to give them a couple more games to get their heads around the new gameplan. But Libbok will also need a chance.

SMZ a mixed bag; incredible on attack but a couple of brainfarts that cost us. But overall he's earned his spot in the squad.

SMZ is a freak on attack. Very dodgy under the high ball. I don't think he collected one.Coaches will have taken note.
But the unstructured attack gives Rassie the gillllls. Rassie doesn't like unstructured. I think he did not do himself any favors over the weekend in Rassies eyes. But it was a tough initiation. Tougher than most would have to deal with

[assfly]

I thought Rassie came across as a bit arrogant in the last couple of press conferences. I'm not sure what it is, but some of the stuff he said or how he said it rubbed me up the wrong way.

[LoveOfTheGame]

I'd also like to see more youngsters brought through in the pack/9/10, but will the public accept losses this series? Portugal won't teach us anything, then it's straight into RC with Aus away, NZ Away and then NZ at home over next 3 weeks.

Both NZ tests are in SA.

[LoveOfTheGame]

I'd also like to see more youngsters brought through in the pack/9/10, but will the public accept losses this series? Portugal won't teach us anything, then it's straight into RC with Aus away, NZ Away and then NZ at home over next 3 weeks.

I have no clue why they are starting Libbok against Portugal. Rassie is making some brain farts with his selections.
Playing Libbok there will teach us nothing except get all the Cape corps shouting for Pollard's head and for Libbok to start.
Libbok is a flake
It's very difficult to teach someone to have confidence. Impossible I would say.

Libbok is second in line for the number 10 jersey afaik? You want to play Pollard every test for the rest of the year?

[LoveOfTheGame]

I thought Rassie came across as a bit arrogant in the last couple of press conferences. I'm not sure what it is, but some of the stuff he said or how he said it rubbed me up the wrong way.

What did he say? My thoughts are they have been very good with their media stuff.

[Sandstorm]

I'd also like to see more youngsters brought through in the pack/9/10, but will the public accept losses this series? Portugal won't teach us anything, then it's straight into RC with Aus away, NZ Away and then NZ at home over next 3 weeks.

Both NZ tests are in SA.

[Sards]

I thought Rassie came across as a bit arrogant in the last couple of press conferences. I'm not sure what it is, but some of the stuff he said or how he said it rubbed me up the wrong way.

You saw the video of Bundi doing the " in your head, in your head....Rassie....Rassie "

It was brilliant. I am sure Rassie's ego took a huge blasting after that

[LoveOfTheGame]

Yes Sards, I'm sure that dented his ego immensely.

[Sards]

Yes Sards, I'm sure that dented his ego immensely.

I was waiting for a Rassie comeback . Nothing. Very disappointing.

[OomStruisbaai]

Springboks miss Damian Willemse

[LoveOfTheGame]

Springboks miss Damian Willemse

They really do, but at least the good thing to come out of it is that SFM got some very valuable test match experience. Faf form in fairness to you oom was also a big problem. His decision making was poor, I wonder if he is still carrying some sort of niggle too.

[Sandstorm]

Springboks miss Damian Willemse

They really do, but at least the good thing to come out of it is that SFM got some very valuable test match experience. Faf form in fairness to you oom was also a big problem. His decision making was poor, I wonder if he is still carrying some sort of niggle too.

The Japan & Europe based Boks (Sous, Faf, Kwagga, Kolbe) have been pretty poor. PSDT, DDA and Kriel have at least looked sharp. Marx has been under-used (like usual)

[boere wors]

Springboks miss Damian Willemse

They really do, but at least the good thing to come out of it is that SFM got some very valuable test match experience. Faf form in fairness to you oom was also a big problem. His decision making was poor, I wonder if he is still carrying some sort of niggle too.

The Japan & Europe based Boks (Sous, Faf, Kwagga, Kolbe) have been pretty poor. PSDT, DDA and Kriel have at least looked sharp. Marx has been under-used (like usual)

Sous was very good in the first test and Marx is coming back from injury

[Sards]

Don't agree with some of the selections. Don't agree with the choice of captain. We saw how we suffered in the under 20s...it was dismal for those that tubed out. Very disturbed by this pressie. Rassie looks like shit. Unfocused.


That's all I will say. Rather keep my thoughts to myself

[OomStruisbaai]

That's all I will say. Rather keep my thoughts to myself

You have already said everything.

21 out of 23 plays URC. Thats great.

[LoveOfTheGame]

Don't agree with some of the selections. Don't agree with the choice of captain. We saw how we suffered in the under 20s...it was dismal for those that tubed out. Very disturbed by this pressie. Rassie looks like shit. Unfocused.


That's all I will say. Rather keep my thoughts to myself

Let me guess, you like...

15 Aphelele Fassi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 9 Cobus Reinach, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 3 Thomas du Toit, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Trevor Nyakane?

[assfly]

The worst part of that press conference was our injury list

Marx - serious
PSdT - 4-6 weeks
Edwil - 6 weeks
Sous - 6 weeks

Add them to this list:

Steven Kitshoff (knee)
Lood de Jager (shoulder)
Deon Fourie (ACL)
Jaden Hendrikse (Shoulder)
Canan Moodie (Finger)
Damian Willemse (Finger)

[assfly]

Oh and Rassie doesn't look too lekka either. Hopefully it was just the unkind lighting in the room.