Wellington – It wouldn’t be surprising if the date of Saturday’s Rugby Championship showdown between the Springboks and the All Blacks had been circled on the calendar by the South African players following last year’s thrilling climax to the tournament at Ellis Park.
The Boks went toe-to-toe with the All Blacks in a desperate charge to win with a four-try bonus point while trying to deny New Zealand any log points. But replacement flyhalf Beauden Barrett’s outstanding solo try won the title for the Kiwis.
Now Saturday, September 13 is nearly upon us, and having to face the All Blacks at the Westpac Stadium could almost be interpreted as a therapeutic experience for the Boks after the nightmare in Perth at the weekend, when they went down 24-23 to a try in the second-last minute of the game.
Before the Australasian tour, the All Blacks Test would have been viewed as a chance for Heyneke Meyer’s team to prove that they are the best team in the world. The Boks grew their attacking game significantly in the last 12 months and were on an eight-match winning streak.
But the manner in which they threw away a victory against the Wallabies, as well as the refereeing controversy, it’s as if the Boks now need a massive challenge to make amends. Well, it doesn’t get any bigger than the All Blacks in New Zealand, and Bok breakdown coach Richie Gray can already see the difference in mindset.
“I’ve been involved for a year and a month now, and I always think there is a sort of switch that gets flicked the minute we come on tour here to Australia and New Zealand.
“And Australia is one (thing), and you move it to New Zealand this week and there is a different feeling in the camp already,” Gray said yesterday.
“South Africa and New Zealand is up there with the great sort of international derbies. Huge history, stories and folklore behind it. And the players realise the importance of this weekend, and also to get the Championship back on track.
“We’re not here to make up the numbers, and there’s been a lot said this year about this fixture, and there’s a bit of a buzz.
“You’ve got Jean de Villiers picking up his 100th cap, so it’s another big occasion for him, and those are the sort of things as well. I think this game sometimes just looks after itself when it comes to the mentality.”
Gray said that it had been frustrating for the Bok management to review the Perth match as it reminded them of how a victory was virtually secured with the score at 23-14 with less than 20 minutes left, but crucial elementary mistakes throughout the game cost them dearly.
It was the case from the first kick-off actually, when the Wallabies managed to win the ball in the air, and Israel Folau scored a minute later, to right at the end, when Morné Steyn failed to find touch with a penalty that allowed the Aussies to counter-attack and dot down the winning try and conversion.
“It’s the old classic of winning the battle, but not winning the war,” Gray said.
He felt that the Bok twin-fetcher duo of Francois Louw and Marcell Coetzee, with the help of No8 Duane Vermeulen, had done well to make it difficult for the Wallabies at the breakdowns, but he called on the forwards to work hard on securing quick ball for the backs to attack with.
“I thought Marcell, Francois and Duane are a very good back-row and fronted up well. And we were much better than in Salta – I felt that there was a lot more tenacity, just aggression in and around that defensive breakdown, which resulted in us getting a bit of ball,” he said.
“Everybody’s trying their best through aggressive defences and techniques to slow each other up. You know that if you get three or four phases where the ball comes out in between 2.5 and 3 seconds, then you will be putting them under pressure. You will then be on the front foot and asking questions of the defence. It’s something that will determine where the game will go.”
Bok team doctor Craig Roberts reported no major injuries from the Wallaby game yesterday. - The Star