SOUTH AFRICA SELECTION REACTION | 1st Test v Ireland 2024

Thank you for the review. Cheers from Durban, South Africa 👏👏

Good selection by Rassie. Grant Williams and Sacha can each play any position in the back line which enables the 6-2 split. Kwagga is going to play a blinder, as usual! As a South African Springboks supporter I'm looking forward to this game!

Must say I know you are not often mentioned in the same breath as Tim from Egg chasers or Alfred but while Tim is my jam I'd pick your analysis over any local South African one any day of the week. Really just enjoy your thoughts process. Been following since the Rugby World Cup. Keep up the great work mate. :). From a South African.

Great excitement for this weekends rugby. Can't wait. Rassie is obviously not taking this game lightly, definitely bringing out the big guns. Thanks for your show

6 2 split with 2 locks is normal for SA. That's pretty much how they've always done it. They experimented with 2 loose forwards last year but abandoned it

Thomas De Toit is so unlucky not to be in the squad. Was world class all year. But wow, what depth they have in the prop department.

Shot for the segment Mate. This team is power. Rassie's got it 10000% correct.

PSTD can play lock as well, so that could also be part of the equation

He's playing Kwagga for the breakdown ... and Kolbe, Smith, Williams and Mngomezulu are all international standard utility players ... me thinks the 6:2 split may become a feature of the Boks model in the coming years... just like at one stage the South African cricket side (Proteas) wanted to field 10 all-rounders ... never happened but ... who knows, maybe one day Rassie will post an 8:0 split!

Mmm-gomma-zulu

I would have had fassi on the bench in case they start putting up bombs, Willie is a bit gun shy. But SF-M isn’t shabby as a 15 either if Willie is off

Without Marx starting, kwagga vital for breakdown battle, van staden is cover for 8th man

Can't complain too much. Personally I'd like to see either of Wilco Louw or Thomas du Toit in ahead of Malherbe but its fine margins and Koch and Malherbe have had more time in the camp with the new coaching setup so fair enough- their time will come. Very happy for SFM. Hope he gets some time at 10 specifically. We've had too many "flexible" players never settle or settle late specifically because of their utility. I see SFM as Pollard's long term replacement and hope the same will be the case for the Stormers going forward. Its not like Libbok won't get his chances- the URC season is loooonnng.

SA are short a few likely starters but have great depth. Ireland do not and will find it hard without their top 15, 14 and 9. SA at altitude will be a big ask for the Irish team which struggled and lost to NZ and ENG.

Number 8 is wide open in my opinion. Someone unexpected will arrive on the scene in the next year or two

A good selection. Roos has much ability but not at this stage better than the selections.

Ireland down key players. Good time to test some new inexperienced players and systems. All about getting new players and trying out players in new positions. Not going to be this billing of game for the ages tripe they are trying to spread to hype it up IMO.

Boring golden oldies team.We know what these guys can do(seen them since 2019).So let's say we win the series.What will that prove.If we beat this Ireland team with 30-40% new guys,that would have been a statement.Or are we saying that if Ireland beat the Boks that the WC win would be diminished.

Looks awesome, SA at home as world champions and number 1 in the world should not expect anything less than 2 wins , just hope the Irish who are not afraid of any team in the world give them 2 very hard won tests…