The talking is done, the preparations wrapped up. Now it’s time for the best rugby match on the planet: the Springboks versus the All Blacks.
The visitors to Ellis Park this afternoon have the Rugby Championship trophy in the bag, but that doesn’t mean South Africa and New Zealand won’t be desperate to pick up the win today. They’ve both got their own reasons for wanting to end their campaigns on a high: the Boks haven’t beaten the All Blacks since August 2011; the visitors want to keep intact their unbeaten run dating back 22 Tests.
It’s set up perfectly to be another classic on the Highveld. There’s no trophy on the line, both teams are missing key players and both may be a little tired after a hugely demanding last eight weeks, which has seen the sides cross the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans to get to this point. With bonus points no longer relevant, it’s just about winning today – something Bok skipper Jean de Villiers admitted his side badly wanted against their biggest rivals.
“For our confidence it’ll do us good,” he said yesterday. “I truly believe we’re good enough to beat them, but we need to get over that barrier now.
“It’s easier said than done, but I believe we can do it.
“We’ve come close a few times, but at some stage that’s going to change.”
De Villiers’ side have indeed come close, most recently in Wellington three Saturday’s ago when they lost 14-10.
He said he doesn’t believe the All Blacks have a psychological hold on the Boks. “Small things haven’t gone our way; it’s not as if we’ve been played off the park by them. We’ve just been missing that small thing that allows one to pull it through or not.
“Mentally we’re in the right place, we’ve trained hard and hopefully, we can now deliver on the field.”
The Boks will always back themselves at the home of South African rugby, but they’re also fully aware that playing in front of 65000 fans won’t get them over the line. “The support is always fantastic and yes, we’ve done well at Ellis Park in the past, but does any of that count tomorrow (today)? I don’t think so,” said De Villiers.
“What counts is which team is better prepared and performs better on the day. It’ll obviously mean a lot if we can win (and end their 22-match unbeaten run), but we’re more concerned about our performance and our goals. The end process is the World Cup (next year) and this is simply an important step towards that.”
The Boks are sweating on the fitness of key forward, No 8 Duane Vermeulen, who took part in the captain’s run at Ellis Park yesterday, but a decision on whether he plays or not will only be made this morning. Both teams have acknowledged the impact Vermeulen has had on the world game this year and called him a colossal figure in the Bok team, but De Villiers is adamant that one man cannot decide the outcome of a Boks-All Blacks Test.
“Duane missing out would be a big blow but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. He’s been massive in this competition but if he doesn’t play, Schalk (Burger) will come in and he’ll bring something different to the side; Warren Whiteley on the bench, too,” said De Villiers.
“Also, every individual needs to do their part – not just the 15 starters, but the eight guys on the bench as well. Rugby is a unique team sport where you need every guy to produce, the whole squad. You just can’t single out players; every one of them must be at their best, then you’ll get the result.”
The Boks genuinely scared the All Blacks in Wellington three weeks ago, coming desperately close to halting the unbeaten run.
This time they need to cross the finish line. - Saturday Star