Kim67

So, what's going to happen tomorrow night? My prediction is 15 - 12 to The Sprinboks. Predictions?

BEVS

Correct.

DeadVim

Lawks, not even close.

mikelincs

England gave away too many penalties early on, and once behind were never likely to catch up. Well done Springboks.

Retirednow

Arrogant tossers got their just deserts

BEVS

Yup. True enough.

scrubbedexpat094

Ah well, you win some, you lose some! Well done the Springboks. I'm just deliriously happy we beat the AB's. Well done to the Billinge lad Owen Farrell.

Amazulu

Watched it in Ubud Bali in a pub where Bokke fans were outnumbered 5:1 by the souties, so the celebrations were sweet!

This game was won up front. The Bokke monstered England in the set piece, an area England are not exactly slouches at. England had no answer to Bokke power and pressure and conceded, I think, 5 scrum penalties. You can't do that and expect to win. I'm surprised that the ref didn't warn them. Losing Sinckler early was a big blow for England, but the intensity of the modern game means that your subs have to be as good as the run-on's and Cole wasn't. Bringing on a new front row early in the 2nd half was a masterstroke by Erasmus and they made an immediate impact - he saves his best for last, and it works. England were tired at the end. Jones was out-couched. The 2 tries were a fantastic bonus (Mapimpi - what a force he is) but the Bokke would have won without them. The Bokke wanted it more

England had one game less than everyone else
England had an extra day's rest after beating the ABs
George Ford world-class? My ass he is
Apparently, Farrell gives inspirational speeches. Okay, whatever floats your boat
Eddie Jones is a flat track bully coach. England should shower Erasmus with gold to get him over there to run their shit
England players immediately taking off their losers medals or not even putting them on. WTF is that all about? Salty much?
An England rugby fan is, generally, not very easy to like. In a way, they kind of mirror England's class system - even in 2019, I know right?

Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!

Amazulu

He gives good motivating speeches - apparently

spouse of scouse

Oi Zulu, what are you doing in Bali? Isn't that a 'shit hole' place? Or was that Beoz who said that.
I like Ubud, you can have a good, relaxing break there.

Amazulu

Wasn't me. I love it here

Bali is awesome

DeadVim

Just plain bullied out of it as far as my non expert eye could tell.

And then we lose the cricket as well ... Ah well, at least Hamilton will clinch the Formula Yawn title, right?

BadgeIsBack

Good post.Well done the Boks - 3/3 and a 100pc Finals record. England are now 1/4 - with, of course, the French 0/2!!
The Boks deserved to win, even though England got to within 3 points? they were rattled with the Boks increasing the margin. Shame that camp out on the Bok line did not gift a try which might have settled their nerves.

*Ben Youngs has been suspect before, and can be slow. When behind a weak platform he is a liability. England has had crap no 9s for quite a while.
*Sinclair was a real loss, and I had a rather sinking feeling when he went off - I think it did make a difference.

No team made many line breaks until of course the last quarter.
The cup is a knockout comp and luck plays into it.
Yes, Gatland observed correctly the Semi was probably England's final. The Boks had an easier route through, but England had more rest. England had the easier route in 2003.
(2007 was a bit bizarre for both SA and England).
[If England had won it, it would have surely been the most comprehensive win ever in all sporting codes.]

Bad loser alert (!) - if I could understand forward play better, I might understand why the ref was penalising the English when eg the Saffers stood up in the scrum or wheeled it.
There might have been some forward passes. The ref was French. Bet he spends all his time when not officiating, wife-swapping etc, drinking wine, and thinking about philosophy.

I don't buy into the whole English fan arrogance thing you see around the traps online. People pick on England, always have done. The Celts carry on like pork chops with their crac etc.
I work with a lot of saffas and actually what I find remarkable about them, almost to a man, is that they all come across as English public school boys in a sort of colonial manner. As a matter of fact, they are generally rather civil and good-mannered.
I like them.

cheers

Amazulu

Fair enough but I'll only partly agree with you. If you look at England's three main team sports: football, cricket and rugby, all three have teams that reflect where England is at today - socially, racially, in economic terms, but only the the first two have fan bases that mirror this. Rugby does not. It really doesn't. When you look at it as an outsider, you see it. Nothing wrong with that in reality - it is what it is

BadgeIsBack

Oh sure, the game is probably more elitist than yes, soccer. But isn't it also rather elitist in AU? I am sure the game is more of a national one in SA and NZ but I bet there are plenty of hooray henry saffers. And, loads of black players in the England XV.

Most of the saffers, if not all, I meet internationally have a cultivation and education that is an distinct minority in the UK. I am not quite sure why this is - not being a saffer myself. It is as if the colonial side of things have made it so.