Month: October 2015

31/10 18:00 RWC Final: New Zealand v Australia (Twickeham)

Predictions

Rob (Ou Grote): New Zealand by 5
James (Ou Grote): New Zealand by 7
Sportingbet: New Zealand
Bet.coza: New Zealand
Sportsbet: New Zealand

30/10 22:00 Bronze Final: South Africa v Argentina (Olympic Stadium)

Predictions

Rob (Ou Grote): South Africa by 3
James (Ou Grote): South Africa by 11
Sportingbet: South Africa
Bet.coza: South Africa
Sportsbet: South Africa

The Front Row [6.5]

3. Frans Malherbe [6]

Rugby365: 6/10
Gave the Boks the solidity they needed in the scrums and did some valuable work away from the set pieces.

Sport24: 6/10
Perhaps not quite enough evidence yet to suggest he should be automatic starter now in tighthead spot? Boks had some good scrums, and disappointing ones. Pinged for a side entry, but couple of sure-handed carries.

Daily Mail UK: 6/10
Scrummaged well but quiet in the loose. Not a dominant ball carrier.

Telegraph UK: 7/10
Ensured the South Africa scrum was going forwards for most of the match and great little offload to release Le Roux.

OuGrote: 6/10

2. Bismarck Du Plessis [6.5]

Rugby365: 6/10
His basics were solid, made a crucial tackle on the cross-cover early in the game and worked hard away from the set pieces.

Sport24: 6/10
Made important early tackle on meaty wing George North when danger signs flashed. Dropped a ball in contact once, but showed courage in returning to park after treatment to what first seemed fairly serious forearm/hand injury.

Daily Mail UK: 7/10
Not as effective in loose as usual but still influential while set piece was good.

Telegraph UK: 8/10
Briefly withdrawn in the first half with a bleeding hand but the South African lineout was an impeccable operation when he was on the pitch.

OuGrote: 6.5/10

1. Beast Mtawarira [6]

Rugby365: 5/10
Had some good carries and was steady in the scrums, but his workrate is not up to standard yet.

Sport24: 5.5/10
Not one of “Beast’s” better Test matches, in truth. Failed to really impose himself at scrum-time and few of his trademark, forceful drives on display.

Daily Mail UK: 7/10
Prominent in the loose and also anchored a very solid Springboks scrum.

Telegraph UK: 6/10
Difficult to tell if the Beast chant is ironic as he only ever seems to go backwards when carrying. Scrum work was very effective.

OuGrote: 6/10

SOURCES:

Daily Mail UK
Telegraph UK
Sport24
Rugby365

The Locks [6.5]

5. Eben Etzebeth [6.5]

Rugby365: 6/10
Some big carries and good workrate, but missed a couple of tackles and conceded silly penalties.

Sport24: 6.5/10
Seldom shirks coalface duties, and that applied again here. Some unusual concentration lapses, and penalised once or twice at rucks.

Daily Mail UK: 7/10
One of the world’s leading second rows enjoyed a fine game disrupting and carrying well

Telegraph UK: 6/10
His intent, whether carrying or in the tackle, is never less than ferocious, but sometimes aggression got the better of him conceding a couple of penalties.

OuGrote: 6.5/10

4. Lood de Jager [7]

Rugby365: 7/10
His ball-carrying remains a huge boon to the Boks, but he also made a few errors – missed tackles and penalties.

Sport24: 6.5/10
Wales had clearly done their homework on the tall-timber ball-carrier; tribute to his lively pool-phase play at this tournament. So they closed his channels down pretty often … but that didn’t mean he was “quiet”. Also confident on own lineout ball, though possibly needed to help “clean” more in Boks’ scratchy first half.

Daily Mail UK: 7/10
An edgy, aggressive, physical player who has years ahead of him at the top.

Telegraph UK: 7/10
Coughed up some costly turnovers in the Welsh 22, but was otherwise impressive as a ball-carrying option and in the lineout.

OuGrote: 6.5/10

SOURCES:

Daily Mail UK
Telegraph UK
Sport24
Rugby365

The Loose Forwards [7.5]

8. Duane Vermeulen [8.5]

Rugby365: 8/10
Worked very hared and was very good value at the breakdown, making some crucial turnovers. However, his tendency to go high in the tackle cost his team at times. That pass for Du Preez’s try made up for all his blunders.

Sport24: 8/10
Made some storming metres on occasion, and always one of the more precise Bok players on a day when imprecision was too often a team feature. Always in market for a poach, one natty ‘SBW’ offload … and then crisp, key involvement off back of scrum in Du Preez’s try.

Daily Mail UK: 9/10
Hugely physical player but also an outstanding footballer with extraordinarily high skill level.

Telegraph UK: 9/10
Offload of the tournament to create Du Preez’s try. Approaching the form he was in when he was crowned IRB Player of the Year. Monstrous carrying.

OuGrote: 8.5/10

7. Schalk Burger [7.5]

Rugby365: 7/10
Lots of carries, mostly effective, and a few neat offloads. However, he also made some poor decisions and conceded some penalties.

Sport24: 7.5/10
Twenty-six carries! That is quite some statistic, and underlined yet again that Burger just doesn’t “do” anonymity in a Bok jersey. Always big on scrambling defence when required, too. The veteran was official man of the match, even if I rated him a fraction below one or two others, for the little it matters. Maybe Boks overdo using him in No 10 channel a tad?

Daily Mail UK: 7/10
Carried well and tackled superbly. Good to see him back close to his best.

Telegraph UK: 9/10
What a warrior. Lining up as the Springboks’ second receiver, Burger made an incredible 26 carries and was also his team’s top tackler.

OuGrote: 7.5/10

6. Francois Louw [6.5]

Rugby365: 7/10
His workrate, on defence and at the breakdown, was immense. His hands did let him down at times, but his carries made up for that.

Sport24: 6.5/10
Visiting pundit Lewis Moody called beforehand for more carrying and linking by the open-sider, who does this well for Bath. He responded to good degree, especially in first half; one terrific charge. Customary good industry at close quarters.

Daily Mail UK: 7/10
Wonderful carrying in the first half and some excellent link play too. Strong at the breakdown.

Telegraph UK: 6/10
Made a couple of impressive bursts with ball in hand but far less prominent at the breakdown where Warburton ruled the roost.

OuGrote: 7/10

SOURCES:

Daily Mail UK
Telegraph UK
Sport24
Rugby365

The Halfbacks [7.5]

10. Handre Pollard [6.5]

Rugby365: 6/10
His distribution skills were fine and made plenty of metres, but his goal-kicking let him down in the second half – luckily it didn’t cost his team too much.

Sport24: 6.5/10
Made place-kicking look thoroughly effortless initially, then had a brief spell of yips as well. But also banged over well-judged dropped goal, amidst 18-point haul, and made his tackles. Some gremlins in tactical kicking, however.

Daily Mail UK: 8/10
Very good goal-kicking display until second half wobble while tactical kicking was also sound.

Telegraph UK: 6/10
Ranks in the upper echelon of fly halves when attacking the gainline, but kicking from the hand was ropey and some poor misses from the tee in the second half.

OuGrote: 6.5/10

9. Fourie du Preez [8]

Rugby365: 9/10
Still a player for the BIG moments. While he was not flawless, he kept his match-winning play in the bank till he really needed it.

Sport24: 7.5/10
Thoroughly efficient rather than awe-inspiring for large parts of game, as Wales did everything they could to disrupt or blunt the little general. But earns a full extra point on my card for sublime anticipation and cool-headedness in the working of his match-winning try …

Daily Mail UK: 8/10
Took his late try superbly and also marshalled and organised the team despite age catching up.

Telegraph UK: 8/10
The little general struck the killer blow for the Springboks latching on to Vermeulen’s offload. Expertly marshalled his team around the field.

OuGrote: 8/10

SOURCES:

Daily Mail UK
Telegraph UK
Sport24
Rugby365