Boks v Lions 2nd test predictions.

[Oldschool]

First a little theory of mine.
I think the Boks were taken totally by surprise at their dominance in the scrum in the first test.
(Just about everybody else was it would appear)
As a result they went straight to plan B becasue they didn't need plan A.
So question is what was their plan A and what is their likely plan C. (Plan B is unlikely to work in the second test)
I think plan A was likely to be based around their back row.
At altitude they will undoubtedly play a mixed kicking game, seeking to bring their back row more into the game with short up and unders and try to attack/exploit our midfield trio. (There were elements of this in the emerging boks game)
The Lions selectors have f^cked up again, by not having either Hook or D'Arcy or both on the bench.
Williams selection is a sop to Idon't know who exactly.
If either of our centres get injured, just look at the permutations that will arise.
The big thing at altitude is that, you have to use all subs after the hour - Would that Lions bench worry you? - It worries me.
So a prediction - The lions to win by a tight margin, if, as it appears, they are the fitter team.

[exiledinmunster]

Lions pack to be far more competitive this week, allowing the backs to mince the springboks same as last week. Lions by 8-10.

[Dublinner]

I think it is a much more balanced side than the previous week. The Lions scrum will not be destroyed like last week. The Boks will kick and maul everything. They will try and take out O'Driscoll and Roberts ...as in literally take them out of the game.
Lions to win narrowly as long as Bod stays on the pitch.

[suisse]

I reckon we've no chance. The Boks didn't respect the Lions enough, and PDV will have been badly stung by his substitutions. The Lions team looks closer to one that should have started last week, but this is another week out of the way, and essentially a new team, bar some familiar combinations. We've never seen this XV in action before, and making 5 changes is almost madness. 2 guys in the starting team not involved at all last week, and a few players dropped altogether. The Lions got it badly wrong in Durban, and that was our best chance. The Boks, meanwhile, have finally got 80 minutes under their belts (Namibia away doesn't count) and crucially de Villiers has refused to buckle on mass changes. Burger was always likely to start if fit, but this side will already be more settled than the Lions, who have spent 4 or so weeks together in South Africa. Throw in the fact this game is at altitude, and the home side are virtually unbeatable in Pretoria. If this game is close after the break, look at the firepower on their bench, compared to ours. The 5 forwards are beasts, and the Lions' front row subs are merely average.

South Africa 29
Lions 15

[Comer Toes]

I reckon we've no chance. The Boks didn't respect the Lions enough, and PDV will have been badly stung by his substitutions. The Lions team looks closer to one that should have started last week, but this is another week out of the way, and essentially a new team, bar some familiar combinations. We've never seen this XV in action before, and making 5 changes is almost madness. 2 guys in the starting team not involved at all last week, and a few players dropped altogether. The Lions got it badly wrong in Durban, and that was our best chance. The Boks, meanwhile, have finally got 80 minutes under their belts (Namibia away doesn't count) and crucially de Villiers has refused to buckle on mass changes. Burger was always likely to start if fit, but this side will already be more settled than the Lions, who have spent 4 or so weeks together in South Africa. Throw in the fact this game is at altitude, and the home side are virtually unbeatable in Pretoria. If this game is close after the break, look at the firepower on their bench, compared to ours. The 5 forwards are beasts, and the Lions' front row subs are merely average.

South Africa 29
Lions 15

Agree with that synopsis. The Lions changes are positive but there's a few hit and hopes in there, primarily Matthew Rees. He did well when he came on but I reckon his line-out throwing will be this week's 'Vickery'. While the Lions might address the scrum and maul issues, you can be sure the Boks will have worked hard on preventing Drico & Roberts the space and gaps they gave them last weekend. I always thought the Lions might have a chance if they got 100% of their strongest team on the field for the tests but minus Flannery, Shanklin, Ferris, Murray the back-ups just hasn't been able to match up.

SA 32
Lions 15

[Oldschool]

Speaking of backups - Best is a better hooker than the three that are out there - Another bad call by the Lions Management.

[Scott]

Speaking of backups - Best is a better hooker than the three that are out there - Another bad call by the Lions Management.

Ye when Ford was called up I thought it a disgrace. Then thought maybe I'm looking at it through green tinted.. but f'uck that the lad is poor & Rees well I fear the Lions will pay dearly at the lineout. Think Lions will lose & not because of altitude but because the Boks have better players across the park. Hope it's not by the 15plus some have suggested but fear it may well be!

[Terraceman]

The Lineout will be a huge problem, Akun Wyn Jones is a better jumper to Shaw, you can see why they decided to introduce Shaw but the lineout was already a mess last week. Luke Rob and Tommy will have to have the best tactical kicking games of their lives.

[gfo]

not really much to say that hasn't already been said. its a more competitive lions side, but it all comes down to how well the pack gel together for line outs and whether Jones can withstand the pressure.

The altitude and the fact that 'boks will be wary of a second half performance like the last test will work against us. I see SA winning by about 14 when they really start putting on the pressure in the 2nd half

However, if Jones plays well (or ROG comes on and plays well) and the pack perform well, AND typical saffer arrogance kicks in, we could win it. Except in reality Shane will be brought on and play like steaming horsepiss in the back, crippling our kicking game/defence. (i know i probably sound very spiteful but he's played 6 of the 8 matches and has been absolutely terrible/mediocre at best. he shouldn't be allowed near the pitch again)

[TrapperChamonix]

not really much to say that hasn't already been said. its a more competitive lions side, but it all comes down to how well the pack gel together for line outs and whether Jones can withstand the pressure.

The altitude and the fact that 'boks will be wary of a second half performance like the last test will work against us. I see SA winning by about 14 when they really start putting on the pressure in the 2nd half

However, if Jones plays well (or ROG comes on and plays well) and the pack perform well, AND typical saffer arrogance kicks in, we could win it. Except in reality Shane will be brought on and play like steaming horsepiss in the back, crippling our kicking game/defence. (i know i probably sound very spiteful but he's played 6 of the 8 matches and has been absolutely terrible/mediocre at best. he shouldn't be allowed near the pitch again)

Jim Telfors telling comments prior to the picking of the Lions Squad........."Neither Jones or O'Gara were good enough 4 years ago and they haven't got better".

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I predicted SA would win the series 3-0 but I'm hopeful for tomorrow so i'm going to go for a tight lions win. I would expect us to be a lot more clinical tomorrow, the scrum to be better and although I think our lineout will be just as bad I'd hope that we've learned out how to stop a maul this week.

One thing that does worry me is the difference in quality on each bench and particularly on the Highveldt that could just swing it the Boks way but as I said I'm hopeful so I'll go for.......

Lions 28
Boks 25

[munster#1]

I reckon we've no chance. The Boks didn't respect the Lions enough, and PDV will have been badly stung by his substitutions. The Lions team looks closer to one that should have started last week, but this is another week out of the way, and essentially a new team, bar some familiar combinations. We've never seen this XV in action before, and making 5 changes is almost madness. 2 guys in the starting team not involved at all last week, and a few players dropped altogether. The Lions got it badly wrong in Durban, and that was our best chance. The Boks, meanwhile, have finally got 80 minutes under their belts (Namibia away doesn't count) and crucially de Villiers has refused to buckle on mass changes. Burger was always likely to start if fit, but this side will already be more settled than the Lions, who have spent 4 or so weeks together in South Africa. Throw in the fact this game is at altitude, and the home side are virtually unbeatable in Pretoria. If this game is close after the break, look at the firepower on their bench, compared to ours. The 5 forwards are beasts, and the Lions' front row subs are merely average.

South Africa 29
Lions 15

Agree with that synopsis. The Lions changes are positive but there's a few hit and hopes in there, primarily Matthew Rees. He did well when he came on but I reckon his line-out throwing will be this week's 'Vickery'. While the Lions might address the scrum and maul issues, you can be sure the Boks will have worked hard on preventing Drico & Roberts the space and gaps they gave them last weekend. I always thought the Lions might have a chance if they got 100% of their strongest team on the field for the tests but minus Flannery, Shanklin, Ferris, Murray the back-ups just hasn't been able to match up.

SA 32
Lions 15

i think the boks can work as hard as they want trying to stop BOD and roberts but tou can't stop an unstoppable force they are a deadly pair the only player who will stop them playing will be philips with his slow ball and when he reverts back to his back row days and forgets a scrum halfs job is to pass. if they get the supply of ball they need it will be 1 hell of a spectacle, just sit back and watch the trys. i am really happy roberts does not play for leinster imagine if himself and BOD played together week in week out, we would have to settle for magners league for a few years

[tones]

Hoenstly can't see us winning. The altitiude is a big thing, I don't how long the Lions have being up in Pretoria but I'm hoping since Tuesday evening or just yesterday. Selection is a bit better but not great either. Pre-tour injuries along with Ferris' (especially key with Croft coming itno the Test side) have been disastrous. We look very weak in the front five, POC hasn't been great but only Hines and maybe DOC could have done soemthing about it.
How Williams made the bench is beyond me, he's out of form and offers no versatility bar Scrum-half. Monye probably should've been kept in the squad. Out-half is a major weakness as well, with both incumbents having glaring weaknesses to their games that every rugby pundit (whether they want to realise it or not) is aware of.

[tate]

The Lineout will be a huge problem, Akun Wyn Jones is a better jumper to Shaw, you can see why they decided to introduce Shaw but the lineout was already a mess last week. Luke Rob and Tommy will have to have the best tactical kicking games of their lives.

f%~k that, run the bloody thing! We have a better backline, and a quick backrow, and if we get linebreaks we have the power and pace to finish them off. Also, word-to-the-wise for drico when moving left to right, throw a half-arsed dummy and waltz on through. Possibly work in a move similar to darce's in the semi-final against munster. Furthermore, boks have a better lineout and the breakdown will be too much of a mess to get quick ball out to our strengths. In short, kicking the ball away will be just that, kicking the ball away. Jones can kick goals, he has proved this in the past, and ball in hand will keep pressure on the boks giving us kicks.

and tones, i read somewhere (think the IT this morning) that the lions were only arriving at altitude 24hrs before k-o. I believe the thinking follows the ABs thought process whereby you go 8 days or 24hrs before k-o

[tones]

The Lineout will be a huge problem, Akun Wyn Jones is a better jumper to Shaw, you can see why they decided to introduce Shaw but the lineout was already a mess last week. Luke Rob and Tommy will have to have the best tactical kicking games of their lives.

f%~k that, run the bloody thing! We have a better backline, and a quick backrow, and if we get linebreaks we have the power and pace to finish them off. Also, word-to-the-wise for drico when moving left to right, throw a half-arsed dummy and waltz on through. Possibly work in a move similar to darce's in the semi-final against munster. Furthermore, boks have a better lineout and the breakdown will be too much of a mess to get quick ball out to our strengths. In short, kicking the ball away will be just that, kicking the ball away. Jones can kick goals, he has proved this in the past, and ball in hand will keep pressure on the boks giving us kicks.

and tones, i read somewhere (think the IT this morning) that the lions were only arriving at altitude 24hrs before k-o. I believe the thinking follows the ABs thought process whereby you go 8 days or 24hrs before k-o

Glad to hear it thanks.

[leinsterlank]

South africa by 25 points. Too good, too strong and a game under the belt. Couple that with the 1/3 change in the lions team and its overall flacid play!No hope.

I hope I'm wrong.

[Hippo]

I think the Lions can sneak it, but my hope is exactly that, just hope. Almost everything here screams a Boks win. They'll play like lunatics early on, build a lead and then kick the ball for the rest of the afternoon, just like last week. My hope is based almost completely on the awesome Drico/Roberts partnership and that sooner or later someone (probably Drico) will time a pass correctly to Luke. Other than that, it's down to the 'last chance' factor for this team. And maybe, just maybe, that POC can produce a really big game at last....

[Dublinner]

Of course it is likely that the Boks should win. I think to say there is no hope is a little bleak. There is always hope when BOD is on the pitch.
I wouldnt be overly concerned about the changes. The changes are for the better. 13 of those players played for most of the second half last Saturday and blew the Boks of the park. Id be very surprised if the Lions scrum goes back today. Once the scrum was sorted we took them apart. I also think you will see the Lions really attack the Boks rolling maul. I dont expect any 60 metre rolling mauls today. I would be slightly worried about the lineout and I dont think the centres will get half as much space but that will open up opportunities elsewhere.
In fairness, on paper the Boks should win easily but I have a sneaking suspicion we might just win this one. Fingers crossed.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I predicted SA would win the series 3-0 but I'm hopeful for tomorrow so i'm going to go for a tight lions win. I would expect us to be a lot more clinical tomorrow, the scrum to be better and although I think our lineout will be just as bad I'd hope that we've learned out how to stop a maul this week.

One thing that does worry me is the difference in quality on each bench and particularly on the Highveldt that could just swing it the Boks way but as I said I'm hopeful so I'll go for.......

Lions 28
Boks 25

Eh there was a typo there...I meant the scores would be the other way around!

[Oldschool]

I predicted SA would win the series 3-0 but I'm hopeful for tomorrow so i'm going to go for a tight lions win. I would expect us to be a lot more clinical tomorrow, the scrum to be better and although I think our lineout will be just as bad I'd hope that we've learned out how to stop a maul this week.

One thing that does worry me is the difference in quality on each bench and particularly on the Highveldt that could just swing it the Boks way but as I said I'm hopeful so I'll go for.......

Lions 28
Boks 25

Eh there was a typo there...I meant the scores would be the other way around!

We'll give you the benefit of the doubt, especially as you got the bench (or lack of) call right.