ADFSL

Is it just me or do anyone else feel that the boks needs to lose a pool game to get in the other half in the draw?

Now Ireland totally out played Aus on Sa and deserved to win! But I still think for the Boks it will be a lot easier to beat Ireland than Aus. Aus has a weak spot against NH teams esp. Eng. and Ireland who have really strong scrums.  The Boks on the other hand can match those teams easily up front and the controle the game.

The added benifit from this is that a dream final between the two best teams in history can be realised!

But then again if the All Blacks lose against France??

cheers

Here goes:

1. G Steenkamp

2. J Smit

3. J du Plessis

4. D Rossouw

5. J Muller

6. H Brussow

7. S Burger

8. P Spies

9. F du Preez

10. M Steyn

11. B Habana

12. J de Jongh

13. J Fourie

14. JP Pietersen

15. F Steyn

16. B du Plessis

17. CJ v d Linde

18. Beast

19. W Alberts

20. P Lambie

21. B James

22. F Hougaard

Now this is what I think the team might look like personally I will:

Start Bismark he deserves a chance to show how big a difference he can make for 70-80 mins.

Drop Spies and start Flo. Will keep Alberts as a supersub when other players are tired.

Drop Habana and play Hougaard.

Start Lambie at 12 ahead of de Jongh.

I know this is the calm before the storm that is RWC 2011.

BUT I am so tired of all the psychological war fare. I know it is all part of the game.

BUT if I have to read another article about:

Wales favourites against boks.

Why Boks should not win the WC.

How fired-up Aus is.

How Nz don’t mind chockers tag.

How Eng think 2 tries a game will win them the WC.

How mutch presure the Boks arre under.

How the players respect Smit.

How old the Bok team is.

This is not real news, it is not insightful articles. It is just showboating and journalistic dribble.

So their isn’t a lot of rugby news to go around but stop writing all these nonsense.

If their is no intersting, insightful or informative stories don’t try to make them up!

Oh this is going to be a long long week!!

tot weder siens. 

I will give you my unbiased opinion of the chances of the worlds top 10 teams to win Bill.

At no 10: Samoa

With their win over a second string Aus team before the TN they have send a warning to every team out there under estemate us and you will pay. Their game agaisnt the Boks is already sold out. BUT although they are capeble of a upset( or even two ) and with 13 Nz born players in their squad I don’t think they will have they consistancy needed to take Bill. So I’ll give them a 2/10 chance.

No 9: Argentina

In 2007 they were a real force to be recond with but in 2011 they have lost a lot of their stalwarts and with no Hernandez they will struggle. Their key game will be Scotland and I think it will be a tight one. If they prevail they will prob lose in the QF. So I’ll give them a 1.5/10 chance.

No8: Ireland

On paper a real decent team. But with poor form in the last year or so. Still with one of the worlds best centres (not self proclaimed) they must have a chance for an upset result or three. On current form can’t see them win it or even make the finals. But thats what we said about Eng in 2007. I’ll give them a 4.5/10 chance of winning.

No. 7 Scotland

A team thats always been a though opponent but never a real threat. They won the boks in 2010. But that was at Murryfield. This is Nz. They have prob one of the easiest groups with either them on Argentina going through. But can’t see them go any further. I’ll give them a 2/10 chance.

No: 6 Wales

A though team. With a very shrewd coach from Nz must count in their favour and having just beaten 6 nation champs Eng their confidence should be pretty high. Can definitely cause a few upsets. Their game agaisnt the Boks will prob define their WC. I’ll give them a 5/10 chance.

No: 5 England

The first of the real contenders. Six nation champs must count in their favour as does the fact that they prob have the easiest group and route to the final. They also have a pretty good WC record almost always going deep in the tournament and usually getting better with time. It won’t be the biggest shock if they reach the final given their route and them having one over Aus in recent times. But something tells me this is not their year. I’ll give them a 6.9/10 chance.

N0:4 France

A rugby world cup SF regular they must be in with a real shot. Normally loves to give All Black supporters heart attacks. But with them in the same group this won’t happen this time. (ecept if they meet in the final). Their prob is consistancy to win a WC you need 3 – 4 real hard efforts and normally the french just can’t lay two big games in a row. So I’ll give them a 7/10 chance.

No:3 Springboks

Current World Champions. They have a very experienced side (to experienced for some’s liking) with a lot of 2007 champions in their ranks. If all goes to plan they will meet the hosts in the semi-finals but being drawn in the group of death for this WC this is definitely not a given. They do have a lot of depth except for tight head. They will go in with a low risk high presure game plan and try to win it that way. Will it work? I don’t know so I’ll give them a 8.01/10 chance.

N0. 2 Australia

The current TN champs with 2 wins against the boks and one agaisnt the blacks under their belt. They are definitely one of the big favourites. They also have a coach born in Nz and Aus being just a stone thow away they won’t feel to home sick. Also with a relatively easy route to final it would be a surprise not to see them there. They play an expansive game and that might count against them in the final. Also have a lot of young players and not a lot of depth. So I’ll give them a 8.4/10 chance.

N0.1 New Zeeland

The bookies favourites ,the IRB’s favourites, Paddy’s favourites and with the tournament in their home country only an idiot won’t think they will have a serious chance. Well rounded team  but with not so mutch dept in flyhalf, loose forward and lock positions.  They are always RWC favourites but never seem to win prob because of their love affair with choking in the big games. Given all of that I’ll give them a 8.89/10 chance.

So that my unbias opinion what say you? Who will have the pleasure of entertaining Bill at their post WC dinner?

cheers