Bok backline booming

The current Springbok backline is on track to being the most exciting of the Heyneke Meyer era and probably of the last decade.

The current Springbok backline is on track to being the most exciting of the Heyneke Meyer era and probably of the last decade.

Published Oct 10, 2015

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London – The current Springbok backline is on track to being the most exciting of the Heyneke Meyer era and probably of the last decade, and at the rate the unit is improving, the backs could realise their potential when it matters most over the next three weeks of the World Cup.

That is the view of Bok backs coach Ricardo Loubscher, who is overseeing a backline that is a rich mix of youth and experience.

“This backline is already exciting, try-scoring has never been a problem this season, and the guys are improving each game as combinations mature and flourish,” the former Sharks and Bulls fullback said.

There is an axis of youth across positions 10, 12 and 13 in the form of 21-year-old Handré Pollard, Damian de Allende (23) and Jesse Kriel (21), but it is sandwiched between experience, with wise general Fourie du Preez directing traffic from scrumhalf and a back three of Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen (who is expected back from injury this week) and Willie le Roux (no longer a newcomer at 30 caps) providing plenty of experience from the back.

The powerfully-built Pollard often takes the ball to the line and asks questions of the defence; De Allende can both crash the ball over the advantage line or sidestep defenders; and at No13 Kriel has the explosive power to get through the outside gaps. Habana and Pietersen have both scored hat-tricks at this World Cup, an indication that they are still deadly finishers.

“It is scary to see how quickly the midfield is gelling, and the same goes for the 9/10 combination and ditto for the 10/12 combination,” Loubscher said.

“It is very exciting to see how quickly this backline is growing as a unit and the reassuring thing is that it is only going to get better.

“These guys have proved that they respond to pressure – we have had plenty of that in the pool games – and on the bigger stage of the quarter-finals, I believe they will step up even further.”

Loubscher and Rudy Paige, who was also doing press conference duty, were lone Springboks in the deserted Lensbury Hotel in West London. The players are enjoying a four-day vacation from the World Cup that started on Thursday after the 64-0 thrashing of the US on Wednesday and ends tomorrow night.

“There has been a massive release of pressure after that game and the players have been told to more or less do what they like for four days. They have earned it, and they know that when we regroup for training on Monday the pressure is right back on – with interest,” said Loubscher.

“We were in a dark place after Japan and the pressure was hectic because the guys were desperate to avoid the humiliation of not making it to the quarter-finals, so now it will be a different type of pressure. We are on a quest for glory, not in a fight to avoid disgrace.”

Loubscher said that while the players were shopping, golfing and swanning about London (Saracens-based local Schalk Brits has been spotted showing some of the players the sights in his Porsche), the coaching staff have been doing their analysis of Wales and Australia, with the Boks lined up to play the losers of the game between those sides this evening.

“We have analysed both teams to death,” Loubscher admitted.

“We play Australia all the time and last year we played Wales three times. We are not overly fussed about who we play – both teams are very confident after having had hugely significant wins over England at Twickenham.

“And in our last games against both those sides, we lost,” Loubscher added.

“Australia are very much in form and have beaten the All Blacks this year, but we take heart from the fact that we dominated them for most of the game in Brisbane.” - Saturday Star

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