The All Blacks have won the last four Tests against the Springboks, but flyhalf Aaron Cruden is hearing the footsteps of “the beast that’s coming” to beat the world champions at Westpac Stadium on Saturday.
The Boks are still smarting from a heartbreaking 24-23 Rugby Championship defeat to the Wallabies in Perth at the weekend, and Cruden believes that the South Africans will be fired up to hit back and restore their dented pride by pulling off a first win over New Zealand in the Heyneke Meyer era.
In the absence of the injured Dan Carter, Cruden started at No10 for the All Blacks in their last Test against the Boks at Ellis Park last October, a match regarded as one of the finest in modern times as both teams played flowing attacking rugby, with the Kiwis prevailing 38-27 to clinch the Rugby Championship crown.
And while the Boks went largely away from their new approach due to the wet weather in Perth, Cruden feels that they are able to threaten the opposition out wide.
But heavy rain and strong winds have again been predicted for Wellington on Saturday, so as was the case in Perth, Meyer’s team are likely to stick to their percentage tactical play.
“We saw bits and pieces of the Bok match, the highlights, and South Africa will think they were robbed at the death there, but for us, we just have to be wary of the beast that’s coming over here. We understand exactly what they are going to bring, and the next few days are pretty crucial for us in terms of our preparation,” Cruden said yesterday.
“They’ve got game-breakers right across the board, and traditionally they like to force other teams into errors. They are happy to go from set-piece to set-piece, or put up contestable kicks and force teams into errors. So for us, it’s understanding that, but being aware that they are not shy to throw the ball around as well to get it to some of the speedsters out wide.
“You look at our last two Tests, and they were classic battles – exactly what you come to expect between the All Blacks and Springboks. Everyone tries to be clear in their roles and restrict the opposition. We know it will be a physical battle as they are big men, and normally we are pretty sore after the game. I guess it’s a cliché, but often things are won upfront, and I think it will be exactly the same this weekend.”
The Chiefs pivot missed out on the past weekend’s 28-9 victory over Argentina in Napier with a chest injury, but is hopeful of recovering in time to take on the Boks. A fit Cruden is sure to start ahead of Beauden Barrett, who missed four out of five goal-kicks against Argentina.
“(The injury) has responded really well to treatment, and I’m doing a little bit of rehab exercises. So yeah, I think they will make a call over the next few days again, and see how I get through training, and if I can do a little bit of the contact stuff.” - The Star