IT’S not often you see a Springbok backline go toe-to-toe with the All Blacks, but they will look to do that for a second week in a row in today’s Rugby Championship showdown at Cape Town Stadium (5pm start).
Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick, who was praised by head coach Rassie Erasmus this week for his off-the-ball and high-ball work with the likes of Aphelele Fassi, Makazole Mapimpi and others, said yesterday that the South Africans have embraced the notion of improving their game from the 2023 World Cup.
Even a potential Championship title-decider against New Zealand won’t mean that the Boks will go into their shells this evening.
Erasmus left out Fassi and flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu this week and brought back the experience of Willie le Roux and Handré Pollard at No 15 and 10 respectively.
But while even All Blacks captain Scott Barrett commented yesterday about the duo’s strong kicking game, the Boks will look to test the Kiwis with greater variety on attack than in previous years.
“In previous weeks, we’ve spoken about developing our game and we want to get better at how we do things,” Stick said yesterday.
“We’ve got some new personnel in our coaching staff, and there are certain things in our team that we always want to build in our game.
“It’s clear and open... You can see how we operate on attack under (new Bok attack coach) Tony Brown. We’re trying to do something different to what we normally use in the past.
“It’s actually a nice challenge, and the coaching staff and players are so excited with what the other coaches are bringing to the table in our system. You can never relax – not when you are playing the All Blacks.”
Some fun and games at the @Springboks captain's run at Cape Town Stadium 🏟 👌@WeekendArgus #Springboks #AllBlacks #RSAvNZL #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/zQWOcM0bJB
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson has brought in some serious ammunition to unlock the Bok defence once more, after scoring four tries in the 31-27 defeat at Ellis Park last weekend.
There is a new-look back three in Will Jordan – who has 33 tries in 34 Tests – Sevu Reece and Mark Tele’a, while 23-year-old scrumhalf Cortez Ratima and his Chiefs loose-forward teammate Wallace Sititi will add some bite with ball-in-hand.
Former Blitzboks captain Stick warned the South Africans to be on high alert in defence as a result.
“I think it’s clear, how they are going to approach the game, if you look at who they’ve selected,” the 39-year-old said.
“In their loose trio, you are looking at ball-players – guys who are short and quick, and moving around the park. They will try to keep the ball in play.
“With their back three, (Caleb) Clarke (who scored two tries in Johannesburg) was one of the best players last week when it comes to finishing, and he probably hurt a couple of our guys with the way he runs.
“But for them to make those big calls, where they bring back a guy like Sevu Reece and (Mark) Tele’a at wing – after a performance like that from the other guys last week – it shows exactly the mindset that they are looking for.
“I heard they are talking about covering our kicking game... I know Sevu Reece as we have coached against him many times, and when it comes to speed, turning and covering all the kicks, he is one of the best.
“They will be desperate to get five (log) points, and that is why they have selected those players, as they will try to keep the ball in play.
“You look at that back three, and you don’t really want to give those guys some space and enough time to make decisions, because they will punish you as they are world-class players.
“Last week, one wrong step against them and they would’ve probably put us away and score the winning try at the end.
“All the games are close against them, and the only one where we had dominance was at Twickenham (in the Boks’ record win in a World Cup warm-up in August 2023).”