Boks ready to run

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 13: South African rugby player Francois Hougaard during the South African national rugby team training session at Loftus Versfeld on August 13, 2014 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 13: South African rugby player Francois Hougaard during the South African national rugby team training session at Loftus Versfeld on August 13, 2014 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

Published Aug 15, 2014

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As the third edition of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship dawns in the southern hemisphere, winds of change are blowing in South Africa, Australia and Argentina while New Zealand are looking to tighten their grip on power.

There has been much fanfare about New Zealand’s dominance of the competition over the past two years and their march towards next year’s Rugby World Cup as the overwhelming favourites.

But there is mounting pressure on the Springboks and Australia to unseat the All Blacks from their perch and tilt the scales of power against the reigning world champions.

The Wallabies take on the All Blacks in Sydney in the hope that the Waratahs’ Super Rugby success over the Crusaders two weeks ago is the catalyst to ending the 17-match unbeaten run the All Blacks have enjoyed. After the war of the Antipodes plays itself out in Sydney tomorrow morning, there will be another battle of wills at Loftus Versfeld.

In years gone by the result of any Test involving the Springboks and Argentina has been a foregone conclusion, but considering the giant strides the south Americans have made in recent times, the Springboks are justified in the cautious approach they have adopted this week.

Argentina are no walk-overs but the Springboks will know that this year’s campaign is their last proper crack at the Rugby Championship ahead of the World Cup, and they need to make it count.

The Springboks need to focus on beating Argentina before mapping the rest of their blueprint in being successful in the competition – but the way in which they play and hopefully beat Argentina will be the first act of intent they will be judged upon. It was their 73-13 demolition of Argentina last year that had many believing the Springboks were finally ready to dethrone the All Blacks.

Tomorrow’s result against Argentina will also carry with it a message, whether the Springboks are undercooked and unable to ascend to the top or if they have evolved enough mentally to seize this opportunity for glory.

It is therefore important for the Springboks to be ruthless and uncompromising towards the Pumas tomorrow. The experience of constantly fighting for dominance in rugby’s world order should come through from Bismarck du Plessis, Bakkies Botha, Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana.

At the same time the exciting running game that has seen the metamorphosis of the Springboks from being a predictable outfit to being one of the most devastating teams with ball in hand needs to be amplified through the youthfulness of debutant Damian de Allende, flyhalf Handre Pollard and exciting wing Cornal Hendricks.

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has asked his team to obsess over the finer details in improving the way they play and making sure they master every aspect of play against Argentina.

As the Springboks look to down Argentina with the perfect game, it is probably Meyer’s silent hope that it is in this team and his gameplan that he has found the blueprint to finally ascend to the summit of southern hemisphere rugby.

“Every game is a new game and has its own personality,” Meyer said this week.

“We don’t live in the past. We look to each game as a new and exciting adventure which we can improve. We have to respect our opponent and study them to the finest detail. I’ve always believed that we have to get our aspects of the game right and be flawless in the execution and everything else will take care of itself.” - The Star

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