The Ozmob have made some changes, notably dropping bad boy Huisbreker Cooper and bringing in Kurtley Beale at his expense.
The side also sees Berrick Barnes shift to fullback.
15. Berrick Barnes, 14. Dominic Shipperley, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12. Pat McCabe, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. Kurtley Beale, 9. Nic Phipps, 8. Radike Samo, 7. Michael Hooper, 6. Dave Dennis, 5. Nathan Sharpe, 4. Kane Douglas, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Tatafu Polotu Nau, 1. Ben Robinson
Replacements
16. Saia Fainga’a, 17. James Slipper, 18. Rob Simmons, 19. Scott Higginbotham, 20. Liam Gill, 21. Brett Sheehan, 22. Anthony Fainga’a
Okay punters in SA are giving SA a 20 point win with an 8 point spread on that margin. How do you guys feel about that prediction? Are we going to do some Aussie annihilation here?









September 27th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Very few are giving Australia even an outside chance… are they right?
September 27th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Cooper hasn’t been dropped… he’s injured along with Moore and Genia (hence the big bookie odds against the Aussies)…
Reply to DavidS @ 10:01 am:
One thing I do know… and that it was the tight 5 and pack that lost the game in Perth… not Morne Steyn… and the Aussies with their 5/2 split and the fiery Douglas back have shown their intent to continue where they left off…
Can the pack show the cohesion they did against AB’s… and more to the point are the Aussies going to contest every LO ball like the AB’s did when they received 6 turnover from the pathetic Bok line-out?
September 27th, 2012 at 11:08 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 10:45 am:
That is why Bekker is back.
September 27th, 2012 at 11:19 am
Reply to Morné @ 11:08 am:
So there is only really Bekker to throw to again…
Duane, Alberts and the youngster don’t seem to be options much… nor do they compete on opposition ball…
But my point remains… do we really need 3 utility backs on the bench when our forwards have not had parity with the Aussies in the tight-loose in as long as I can remember…
September 27th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Duane is a successful jumper for Stormers and WP, same with Louw.
The problem with lineouts against AB was more Though in and calls in lineouts. It should be an easy fix but we are changing locks every game, the reason why Vic and Bakkies was so successful was because they played together 98% of the time.
I agree with Bryce we lost the Aussie game because of Forwards and defence that was kak.
Hope HM has sorted that out.
I say it again Aussies will work out soft places in a team and will hammer on it the whole game until the team crack
September 27th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
The one thing I am quite concerned about is the locking pair, Juandre and Flip did some hard work in the rucks, not sure Etzebeth and specifically Bekker will do that, so Australia if they commit numbers to the ruck, may one up us there.
September 27th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Weakest Aus team I have seen in a very very long time. Boks by 10-20.
Boks backline will be much more dangerous on attack without Morne.
September 27th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Reply to biltongbek @ 12:15 pm:
Yep the entire 22 need to man-up with numbers at all rucks should they be there…
Hope all the injuries are done-and-dusted… this pack including bench have a better feel about them albeit I’d like another forward in the mix…
September 27th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Reply to Vetgesmeerde Blits @ 12:26 pm: That was said in teh game in Perth as well and we lost due to piss poor play
September 27th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Reply to Jacques(Bunny)Morne Steyn is Baas @ 2:27 pm:
Punters have been saying the same thing for the last 5 consecutive games… but really their injuries is now shocking…
As an aside… none other than Braam Van Straaten being credited by Beale with that huge winning PK a few weeks back…