TEST RUGBY RESULTS: Saturday 25 August

25.08.2012
New Zealand 22, Australia 0 in Auckland (Bledisloe Cup; Rugby Championship)
South Africa 16, Argentina 16 in Mendoza (Rugby Championship)

Briefly
The Bledisloe Cup, the symbol of rugby supremacy between New Zealand and Australia, stays in New Zealand.

The All Blacks performance was not flawless. Dominating but with errors. Such is the skill, control and power of this team they are truly world champions. Even with more handling errors than their opponents this New Zealand side has the composure to put incredible pressure on their opponents. What will happen if they really hit the straps?

What about Australia? The good news is that their defence was outstanding. To hold off such a dominant team and to restrict them to one try was an amazing aspect of this game. But the Australians would still be very disappointed that they rarely came within try-scoring opportunities. Their addiction to kicking the ball away was greeted by a collective Australian groan surely heard across the Tasman and above the Eden Park din.

And Robbie Deans’ tenure as Australian coach? The jury is out, decision pending.

I haven’t yet seen the Argentina-South Africa test match but I honestly didn’t think Argentina were going to get that close to South Africa. But close they got and with a bit of luck could well have won it. Reports indicate South Africa played poorly whilst Argentina out-muscled, out-committed and generally out-played the visitors. An opportunist try near the end drew the scores level.There was also comment about the old-fashioned, out-dated predictable play of the Springbox.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP: South Africa v Argentina

25.08.2012
South Africa v Argentina in Mendoza

Venue: Malvinas Argentinas Stadium

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)

Preview

Images of Mendoza City. Thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mendoza_Ciudad.jpg

On thing we can be sure of Mendoza is an ideal place as a base for an Argentinean team. This is a beautiful city near the foot of the Andes Mountains, the backbone of South America. It is not your usual place for test rugby but it most certainly will do.

Malvinas Argentinas Stadium. Capacity 45,000 but not, according to Wikipedia, with seating for all. Image thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estadio_Malvinas_Argentinas

Back to the rugby. So where are we up to with Argentina? What has last week’s 6-27 loss to South Africa meant to ‘Los Pumas’? That result may not be a disaster after all. Argentina will have picked the bones of that match clean, done their homework, changed their team, though about their approach and will most certainly be a formidable foe on some home turf.

South Africa on the other hand have plenty to think about. So dominant were they a score double the 27 last week was what should have been. It wasn’t and so they also had homework to do, team changes to make and thinking to do.

Both teams have done the thinking and made the changes. Argentina will need to play out of their skins, dominate up front and score tries. Even on a poor day I’d expect South Africa to win. Argentina’s time is not yet.

Whatever the result methinks Mendoza will be a city the visitors will be reluctant to leave.

Last Five Encounters
18.08.2012 South Africa 27-6 in Capetown (Rugby Championship)
09.08.2008 South Africa 63-7 in Johannesburg
14.10.2007 South Africa 37-13 in Paris (World Cup, Semi-Final)
05.11.2005 South Africa 34-23 in Buenos Aires
04.12.2004 South Africa 39-7 in Buenos Aires

South Africa Last Five P 5, W 3, D 1, L 1
18.08.2012 v Argentina W 27-6 in Capetwon (Rugby Championship)
23.06.2012 v England D 14-14 in Port Elizabeth
16.06.2012 v England W 36-27 in Johannesburg
09.06.2012 v England W 22-17 in Durban
09.10.2011 v Australia L 9-11 in Wellington (World Cup, Quarter-final)

Argentina Last Five P 5, W 3, L 2
18.08.2012 v South Africa L 6-27 in Capetown (Rugby Champ.)
23.06.2012 v France L 10-49 in Tucuman
16.06.2012 v France W 23-20 in Cordoba
09.06.2012 v Italy W 37-22 in San Juan
26.05.2012 v Chile W 59-6 in Santiago (CONSUR A)

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-South Africa 4th, Argentina 8th

IRB Ranking Points
South Africa 85.08, Argentina 79.04

Prediction: South Africa by 11 points

Teams

Argentina

15		Martín Rodríguez	Stade Français, France
14		Gonzalo Camacho	Exeter Chiefs, England
13		Marcelo Bosch	Biarritz, France
12		Santiago Fernández	Montpellier, France
11		Horacio Agulla	Bath Rugby, England
10		Nicolás Sánchez	Bordeaux, France
9		Nicolás Vergallo	Stade Français, France
8		Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Capt.)	Toulon, France
7		Alvaro Galindo	Racing Metro, France
6		Julio Farías Cabello	Tucuman Rugby
5		Patricio Albacete	Toulouse, France
4		Manuel Carizza	Biarritz, France
3		Juan Figallo	Montpellier, France
2		Eusebio Guinazu	Biarritz, France
1		Rodrigo Roncero	Stade Français, France
16		Bruno Postiglioni	La Plata
17		Marcos Ayerza	Leicester Tigers, England
18		Leonardo Senatore	Los Pampas XV
19		Thomas Leonardi	Los Pampas XV
20		Martin Landajo	Los Pampas XV
21		Lucas González Amorosino	Montpellier, France
22		Juan José Imhoff	Racing Metro, France
		HEAD COACH: Santiago Phelan

South Africa

15		Zane Kirchner	Blue Bulls
14		Bryan Habana	Western Province Stormers
13		Jean de Villiers (capt.)	Western Province Stormers
12		Frans Steyn	Natal Sharks
11		Lwazi Mvovo	Natal Sharks
10		Morné Steyn	Blue Bulls
9		Francois Hougaard	Blue Bulls
8		Willem Alberts	Natal Sharks
7		Jacques Poitgieter	Blue Bulls
6		Marcell Coetzee	Natal Sharks
5		Andreas Bekker	Western Province Stormers
4		Eben Etzebeth	Western Province Stormers
3		Jannie du Plessis	Natal Sharks
2		Adriaan Strauss	Cheetahs
1		Tendai Mtawarira	Natal Sharks
16		Tiaan Liebenburg *	Western Province Stormers
17		Patrick Cilliers	Golden Lions
18		Flip van der Merwe	Blue Bulls
19		Keegan Daniel	Natal Sharks
20		Ruan Pienaar	Ulster, Ireland
21		Patrick Lambie	Natal Sharks
22		JJ Engelbrecht	Blue Bulls
		HEAD COACH: Heyneke Meyer

* New test cap if called upon.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP: Australia v New Zealand

25.08.2012
Australia v New Zealand in Auckland

Venue: Eden Park

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	BT	BL	PTS
South Africa	1	1	0	0	27	6	21	0	0	4
New Zealand	1	1	0	0	27	19	8	0	0	4
Australia	1	0	0	1	19	27	-8	0	0	0
Argentina	1	0	0	1	6	27	-21	0	0	0

Preview
Is there any certainty in any game of rugby? If there is a certainty how dangerous is it to predict and outcome? Very!

In this test match all would seem lost for Australia. They are down to their third captain this year. Out injured are James Horwill and David Pocock. Will Genia, young though he is, is a player with experience on his shoulders. The sort of player anybody would look up to. He will certainly do well.

But look at Australia’s woeful injury list and think of a team able to play a decent game of test rugby with such a list. Look at how differently the All Blacks cope without either McCaw or Carter. That’s only TWO players!Thankfully the AB’s could play out the Rugby World Cup with only one of those illustrious players absent at a time! Australia has not only lost Pocock and Horwill but think about O’Connor.

Now something about pressure. It either works for you or against you. We have the Australian team under pressure because of injuries. The whole team is under pressure because they are under performing. Coach Robbie Deans is under intense pressure to make his team perform. Another below par performance and Australia could be with a new coach (and yet more pressure!). Australia hasn’t won at Eden Park since ages ago.

Robbie Deans. Is his time running out?
Image thanks to theroar.com.au

And then there is Quade Cooper. His comments, or lack of them, appeared to backfire as a publicity stunt. Or did it? Was he just saying ‘lets keep the comments to on the paddock stuff. Forget the rest’. Hmmm-More pressure!

But pressure can work for you. It can motivate. It can inspire. It can lift a team when down is not an option (or nowhere else to go). How the Aussies handle the pressure will determine the outcome of the game.

What about the All Black camp. Experienced prop Tony Woodcock is out injured. Wayne Crockett takes his place. This is not so serious as one would think. New Zealand has a wealth of depth in their ranks. Something Australia does not have. Apart from that everything seems to be rosy. Home ground, home crowd, a win already over Australia.SBW’s farewell game Looking good.

Another win here to New Zealand and the Bledisloe Cup is all wrapped up for another season.

Last Five Encounters
18.08.2012 New Zealand 27-19 in Sydney (Bledisloe Cup; Rugby Champ.)16.10.2011 New Zealand 20-6 in Auckland (World Cup, Semi-final)
27.08.2011 Australia 25-20 in Brisbane (Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations)
06.08.2011 New Zealand 30-14 in Auckland (Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations)
30.10.2010 Australia 26-24 in Hong Kong (Bledisloe Cup)

Note: Australia has not won at Eden Park since 1986.

New Zealand Last Five P 5, W 5
18.08.2012 v Australia W 27-19 in Sydney (Bledisoe Cup; Rugby Champ.)23.06.2012 v Ireland W 60-0 in Hamilton
16.06.2012 v Ireland W 22-19 in Christchurch
09.06.2012 v Ireland W 42-10 in Auckland
23.10.2011 v France W 8-7 in Auckland (World Cup, Final)

Australia Last Five P 5, W 3, L 2
18.08.2012 v New Zealand L 19-27 in Sydney (Bledisloe Cup; Rugby Champ.)23.06.2012 v Wales W 20-19 in Sydney
16.06.2012 v Wales W 25-23 in Melbourne
09.06.2012 v Wales W 27-19 in Brisbane
05.06.2012 v Scotland L 6-9 in Newcastle

GWC Rugby Ranking
World Table:-New Zealand 1st, Australia 2nd
Oceania Table:-New Zealand 1st, Australia 2nd

IRB Ranking Points
New Zealand 92.29, Australia 86.19

Prediction: New Zealand by 16 points

Teams

New Zealand

15		Israel Dagg	Hawkes Bay
14		Corey Jane	Wellington
13		Ma'a Nonu	Auckland
12		Sonny Bill Williams	Canterbury
11		Hosea Gear	Wellington
10		Daniel Carter	Canterbury
9		Aaron Smith	Manawatu
8		Kieran Read	Canterbury
7		Richard McCaw (Capt.)	Canterbury
6		Liam Meesam	Waikato
5		Samuel Whitelock	Canterbury
4		Luke Romano	Canterbury
3		Owen Franks	Canterbury
2		Keven Mealamu	Auckland
1		Wayne Crockett	Canterbury
16		Andrew Hore	Taranaki
17		Benjamin Franks	Tasman
18		Brodie Retallick	Bay of Plenty
19		Victor Vito	Wellington
20		Piri Weepu	Auckland
21		Aaron Cruden	Manawatu
22		Benjamin Smith	Otago
		HEAD COACH: Steven Hansen

 

Australia

15		Adam Ashley-Cooper	NSW Waratahs
14		Drew Mitchell	NSW Waratahs
13		Robert Horne	NSW Waratahs
12		Berrick Barnes	NSW Waratahs
11		Digby Ioane	Queensland Reds
10		Quade Cooper	Queensland Reds
9		William Genia (Capt.)	Queensland Reds
8		Scott Higginbotham	Queensland Reds
7		Michael Hooper	ACT Brumbies
6		David Dennis	NSW Waratahs
5		Nathan Sharpe	WA Western Force
4		Sitaleki Timani	NSW Waratahs
3		Benjamin Alexander	ACT Brumbies
2		Stephan Moore	ACT Brumbies
1		Ben Robinson	NSW Waratahs
16		Saia Fainga’a	Queensland Reds
17		James Slipper	Queensland Reds
18		Radiki Samo	NSW Waratahs
19		Liam Gill *	Queensland Reds
20		Nicholas Phipps	Melbourne Rebels
21		Anthony Fainga’a	Queensland Reds
22		Kurtley Beale	Melbourne Rebels
		HEAD COACH: Robbie Deans

* New test cap if called upon.