Wales XV v South Africa.11/09

Here we go then.

WALES:
James Hook; George North, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams, Rhys Priestland, Mike Phillips; Paul James, Huw Bennett, Adam Jones, Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton (C), Toby Faletau
REPLACEMENTS: Lloyd Burns, Ryan Bevington, Bradley Davies, Andy Powell, Tavis Knoyle, Scott Williams, Leigh Halfpenny

Hook starts at Fb, Priestland at 10, Charteris in at second row. Ryan is injured so Faletau starts

Cheers Cymro.

Feck it, I'm putting it out there...I said on my Sportsguru that Wales will win, and I still say they will. Not by a huge margin, but a win all the same

DERE 'MLAEN CYMRU!!!!!!!

I would have started with Halfpenny at FB and our most creative player at 10

I had a feeling Preistland would start at 10 to throw off SA.

Im suprised Bradley Davies has been dropped, his physicality will be needed.

I can only think that Priestland and Hook will interchange somewhat. Very surprised that Long Dog Charteris is starting and Toby, though with Ryan injured it is the logical step I guess.

Good luck boys, your team is going to need heaps of it.

Risca - when was the last time Charteris played? He's been injured a while, no?

I think hes got Hook and Priestland the wrong way round but no Byrne is encouraging - Poor bench particularly the forwards who will come in for a hammering, I have a feeling that could be costly

Can't recall really. I thought he'd played a fair bit in the warmups.

Actually Im not too dissapointed by that, I would have put hook at 10 and 1/2p at full back but the rest of the starting team is what i wanted. As for priestland and Hook I figure they will switch during the game.

The boks have put out their most experienced side in history, so we really have to play at a high tempo and win our own setpiece.

Run the boks all over the place tire them out and keep our discipline and I think we can win this.

If the lineout fails and we start slowly, then it will all be over by half time.

Looking at the side again I think there will be some swapping of positions going on.

Charteris played at home v England and his defence was superb.
I'm amazed Toby is starting and I am gutted hook is full back.
We're gonna get battered.

I must admit, I did not see that team coming I think we will lose by at least 20 points, I hope Toby has a good game but it is a big ask with his lack of experience and poor handling. Hook at 15, what a waste.

Thats bang on the 22 I went for

Can see 1/2p coming on for Hook who will go to 10 in the second half. Pleased for Charteris who deserves to be in the mix, and a very good bench as well

Do we all think that Hook will still be at 15 come Sunday ?

Biltong, suprised you didn't put up an article for the SA team. I've seen the bok team via the WRU site and it looks tasty! Can't picture us beating them .

Perhaps Hook standing at 10 in attack and at 15 in defense

Preistland is a stronger tackler and good at reading the game from FB, Hook is better under the high ball and more inspirational in attack, so it would make sense.

Just had a look at the bench. One word. Threadbare.

manofgwent wrote:Just had a look at the bench. One word. Threadbare.

One other word Crap

Christ MOG, I know you're a fellow Dragons fan but a little optimism eh ?

nottins_jones wrote:Biltong, suprised you didn't put up an article for the SA team. I've seen the bok team via the WRU site and it looks tasty! Can't picture us beating them .

someone else has already put it up in the article Wales team to face South Africa, so I didn't want to duplicate.

I went the more passionate route and wrote something about "beware the inspired Bok"

More to do with what has been said in the media and what has been said by the players.

Massive pressure on Toby. Think it's harsh that people have a go at his handling. His handling is always great for the dragons. You have to appreciate that he's 20 and only gained his 1st cap 2 months ago. He hasn't play a proper competitive international. So to say he's being thrown in at the deep end is an understatement. I'm praying he goes well on Sunday.

wales606 wrote:I had a feeling Preistland would start at 10 to throw off SA.

Im suprised Bradley Davies has been dropped, his physicality will be needed.

It's no good being that big if you don't throw your physicality about. Bakkies is the same size and he's the guy that throws his weight around!

Hook will probably play first receiver in their danger zone.

Can we get Adam Jones to throw his weight around

Everybody talks about how big their side is we also have some big lads running at them JD JR and GN are all 16st plus

biltongbek wrote:

nottins_jones wrote:Biltong, suprised you didn't put up an article for the SA team. I've seen the bok team via the WRU site and it looks tasty! Can't picture us beating them .

someone else has already put it up in the article Wales team to face South Africa, so I didn't want to duplicate.

I went the more passionate route and wrote something about "beware the inspired Bok"

More to do with what has been said in the media and what has been said by the players.

I didn't see it. Thought it would have been posted in this article when I seen the title.

I've found it now anyway:

15 Frans Steyn (Racing Metro, France) - 43 caps
14 JP Pietersen (The Sharks) - 38
13 Jaque Fourie (Western Province) - 64
12 Jean de Villiers (Western Province) - 69
11 Bryan Habana (Western Province) - 70
10 Morné Steyn (Blue Bulls) - 29
9 Fourie du Preez (Blue Bulls) - 57
8 Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls) - 42
7 Schalk Burger (Western Province) - 63
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Free State Cheetahs) - 15
5 Victor Matfield (Blue Bulls) - 107
4 Danie Rossouw (Blue Bulls) - 58
3 Jannie du Plessis (The Sharks) - 26
2 John Smit (captain) (The Sharks) - 106
1 Tendai Mtawarira (The Sharks) - 28
Replacements
16 Bismarck du Plessis (The Sharks) - 38
17 Gurthrö Steenkamp (Blue Bulls) - 33
18 CJ van der Linde (Golden Lions) - 72
19 Johann Muller (Ulster, N Ireland) - 23
20 Willem Alberts (The Sharks) - 4
21 Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls) - 10
22 Butch James (Golden Lions) - 41

Great team. I think we can compete, but if we're forced to make substitutions and the Boks unload their bench - game over by a mile.

the team has been named,why don't we all get behind them and be positive,bloooody hell i wouldn't like to be in the trenches with some people on here beside me.

Sorry munk. I'll back Wales 100%, but I'll also try and be level headed and say what I think.
Im in the pub Sunday morning, probably in my faletau wig, cheering us on, but I have absolutely no faith in our management.
I do slate gatland an expect us to lose, but that doesn't mean I want us to lose.
I'm a dragons fan. I'm used to being disappointed, but I can assure you, I'll have a good day out.
I hope the gamble comes off.

Mr-bryns-attitude

I am positive sir.

















Positively excited.

mr-bryns-attitude wrote:the team has been named,why don't we all get behind them and be positive,bloooody hell i wouldn't like to be in the trenches with some people on here beside me.

Hard to be possitive neck deep in muddy water living on tinned food... Or was that meant to be funny?!

ho ho ho!

Good work on the SA team. Can anyone get the welsh players caps up and compare them to SA, because that is one experiences team. Even the bench looks strong. When you think Toby has 3 caps. Priestland has 4 or 5. Fly half and no. 8 are pivotal positions and we are seriously lacking experience.

This doesnt make sense , Wales are going all out for the attack but stick hook at 15?? he;s Wales best attacking option and should be at first 5

Bullsbok wrote:This doesnt make sense , Wales are going all out for the attack but stick hook at 15?? he;s Wales best attacking option and should be at first 5

Priestland is a good attacker. The whole backline is. They both play at 10 and 15 so will be interchanging positions. The back 5 is quite mobile too.

manofgwent wrote:Sorry munk. I'll back Wales 100%, but I'll also try and be level headed and say what I think.
Im in the pub Sunday morning, probably in my faletau wig, cheering us on, but I have absolutely no faith in our management.
I do slate gatland an expect us to lose, but that doesn't mean I want us to lose.
I'm a dragons fan. I'm used to being disappointed, but I can assure you, I'll have a good day out.
I hope the gamble comes off.

Fair play,if all goes wrong we'll get our star 5 back sooner than later anyway

As I have said elsewhere, it is an INCREDIBLY bold selection by Gatland.

Almost a "we are expected to lose, so lets fling EVERYTHING at them and see what happens" selection.

Bullsbok wrote:This doesnt make sense , Wales are going all out for the attack but stick hook at 15?? he;s Wales best attacking option and should be at first 5

Hook is also much more secure under the high ball than Priestland, and most people are expecting a fair amount of aerial bombardment from the Boks.

davies for charteris aside its a bold team. I quite like the side who that is playing well has missed out/

Well I do hope that SA try the aerial bombardment kicking away possession will suit us.

mr-bryns-attitude wrote:the team has been named,why don't we all get behind them and be positive,bloooody hell i wouldn't like to be in the trenches with some people on here beside me.

here here


charteris....why!!!

I reckon its a typo and Hook will be at 10...or maybe 1, he hasn't played there yet

[quote="nottins_jones"]

mr-bryns-attitude wrote:the team has been named,why don't we all get behind them and be positive,bloooody hell i wouldn't like to be in the trenches with some people on here beside me.

Hard to be possitive neck deep in muddy water living on tinned food... Or was that meant to be funny?!

ho ho ho! [/quote

no it wasn't meant to be funny,it's a common expression meaning you would rather someone positive and reliable by you when you go into battle,unlike you,fool.

I can see why charteris is in, davies is no line out option neither are any of the back row (now ryan is out) charteris is there to counter matfield

not saying its right or wrong but i can see why he has been picked

Im pretty happy with that team but my big concern is if a prop gets injured early on then Ryan Bevington is in for a torrid time in the scrums.

Also with Lee Byrne not being selected in the 22 i just wonder why he was even in the squad in the first place, just seems like a waste of a squad place.

Cymroglan wrote:Well I do hope that SA try the aerial bombardment kicking away possession will suit us.

True. Hook isn't a bad counter-attacker either. The back-row and AWJ will be right behind in support. The last thing we want to do is kick possession to them unless it's straight to the corners...but don't expect them NOT to run it back it us.

Hard to see how and where you score tries past that particular Bok side.

[quote="mr-bryns-attitude"]

nottins_jones wrote:

mr-bryns-attitude wrote:the team has been named,why don't we all get behind them and be positive,bloooody hell i wouldn't like to be in the trenches with some people on here beside me.

Hard to be possitive neck deep in muddy water living on tinned food... Or was that meant to be funny?!

ho ho ho! [/quote

no it wasn't meant to be funny,it's a common expression meaning you would rather someone positive and reliable by you when you go into battle,unlike you,fool.

Don't pick on him, he's from newport.

You wear them down.

mr-bryns-attitude wrote:
no it wasn't meant to be funny,it's a common expression meaning you would rather someone positive and reliable by you when you go into battle,unlike you,fool.

It might have been common back in your day.

So we aren't being possitive, but does that mean we won't be behind the team? And what would you rather us say "Wales by 50" so we can get called delusional?! We just can't win!

Touchy aren't you, PMT?

His work rate was huge against England, just want short line outs straight to him