posted May 28, 2008

I've really enjoyed reading the intelligent exchanges and well argued points of view here.

...So which miserable b*st*rd gave me only 1 out of 5 for my original post?!

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posted May 28, 2008

simonofsurrey, me thinks you doth protest too much about the ratings, there are people who get high off giving single stars to good articles you know. I'll give you a 5 star if that will make u happy.

Humphrey, check out www.sarugby.com for up to date news on SA rugby...thats if you're interested. NZ needs to realise the world of pro rugby isn't about loyalty to badges and institutions anymore, they need to make playing in NZ more attractive to their players. Oz sport in general pays their players well so I think thats why they've stayed. SA rugby only lost 4 Boks to the NH season...and 2 of them are coming back to SA. Percy will probably retire soon (again) anyways but I think for once SARU has looked at the bigger picture.

Playing rugby in SA and for SA is still very lucrative and the fanatical culture of rugby here is unmatched so players tend to only go North to get the money and experience but all come back eventually.

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posted May 28, 2008

Wales are a fitter team than England and won t have a problem going for 80 minutes .It is a pity Henson Byrne and Mike Phillips aren t playing

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posted May 28, 2008

Wales are in fantastic form and with their current management I would'nt be surprised if they caused an upset despite being injury plagued- although on the other hand the South African squad is probably the most impressive laid out by any country this year. Their are a couple of unknowns in their which are going to give the boys a bit of a shock- Chavanga being the biggest one- boys this guy can do 100m faster than Habana at 10.2 seconds and his footwork is almost as good- so watch out Shane! I think he is about to meet his match.

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posted May 29, 2008

up_and_under,

A kind offer, but I was only kidding. Makes me wonder why the Beeb bother with that star rating, though: it isn't worth a bean.

Back on topic - again purely as a rugby lover, regardless of personal national leanings - it's a crying shame that so many potentially important contributors to the SA/Wales series won't be on the pitch.

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posted May 29, 2008

Im not too worried about our fitness levels. Although we are playing at altitude Gatland has been training with this in mind so it shouldnt pose a problem.

I also have no worries with our scrum. In previous years SA would have pushed us all over the field,but now for the first time in a long while we have a pack that can push other teams off the ball. Im not saying we will do that to SA, but I think we will hold up well.

Our lack of depth is our biggest problem, as several key players are missing, but we've managed to scrounge up a couple of players who may well surprise us and stand up against the opposition.
It should also be considered that while both squads are relatively new, the SA squad will have had practically no time to gel under the new regime.
Also DeVilliers has said that he is looking to develop the SA game to be more of a running game while keeping the basics in place. This is how Wales play best, and a more open game would suit us.

I still tip the wins to SA but it wont be by much and if we can hold our own against the WC in their own backyard, then we will have shown how far we have come and increased our depth that little bit more!

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posted May 30, 2008

Hear hear.

We Welsh are gonna have our toughest test this year in SA, and possibly even in the last few. Unlike previous years we're going away with a quiet confidence in ourselves to not win, but to compete. So many years we've gone abroad with no expectancy to really compete but a underlying false sense of hope and a belief in anything can happen on the day.

This year is different, we're plagued with injuries in key positions but it's a chance to show that Wales has so much young talent to try and breach the gaps. We've also got a strong coaching set up that keeps minds focused and has an intelligent rugby mind, that in my opinion can count for a lot.

I like most of the Welsh think that SA will do us, but not by much. They're the world champions and the team they can put forward is just phenomenal, and in their own back yard they're gonna have the upper hand.

My final word is come on Wales and come on the Bokks! Let's have a great display of rugby for us all to enjoy.

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posted Jun 1, 2008

Springbok fan here...
Firstly let me just say I love Welsh rugby. I love the passion, how its a religion in Wales, the tradition but most of all its the style of rugby which I love. I wonder if we cast our minds back a couple of years ago... the 2004 end of year tour match against the All Blacks in Cardiff. I don't know if many remember but to me that was one of the greatest test maches i've ever watched. A stunning example of running rugby from both sides. The thing is though that not many people gave Wales a chance yet the match was nearly won by them.
Agreed I hope that the Boks win, which they probably will, but I really hope Wales come here with all their pride, tradition, passion and natural flair for the game, because with the backline we have at the moment, it is going to be incredibly fast and exciting. Boks to win but c'mon Wales

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posted Jun 1, 2008

10secondhabana (U9672998)

That is a true rugby fans post mate - Having grown up in the 70's we got used to having a great team etc etc. Rugby is the heart, soul and very life blood of Wales and only South Africans and New Zealanders can really appreciate that from a rugby perspective. Here's hoping we can give you guys a game next week. With all fit it would have been a great spectacle but I'm looking forward to it as always as I believe we have a solid base this time on which to build on. Great post - Have a pint

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posted Jun 1, 2008

Cheers mate!
For anyone interested there's a great YouTube vid of the '73 Baa baa's game vs All Blacks at the Arms Park. Its the highlights of the game including of course "THAT try". Hopefully it'll send chills up your spine as it did mine listening to that Arms Park crowd and the rugby being played! The add is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMd7PQavavw&NR=1

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