Thursday 11 September 2014 15:08, UK
Thinus Delport says that South Africa will play a more running game against New Zealand, but must hold their defensive line.
What a frustrating game to lose! South Africa were 23-14 up at one stage but went on to lose against Australia. It came down to a couple of errors that cost South Africa the victory – a couple of missed kicks for touch and too many defensive errors as well but on the positive side, the scrums were functioning again and the lineouts went well too. There was a lot of kicking but I felt that the conditions dictated the way the game was played – you have to play the conditions!
Looking ahead to this weekend well it’s a huge test for Heyneke Meyer and his Springboks as they head to Wellington to take on New Zealand. Last year there was a lot of hype surrounding this game but I don’t think South Africa are in the same place they were last year. They are missing some key players and they don’t quite have the confidence they had before last year’s game. Obviously 2013 will be remembered for THAT tackle on Dan Carter and the red card for Bismarck Du Plessis which ended the game as a contest.
I think it is a big call to replace Morne Steyn and to bring in Handre Pollard. Pollard is a very exciting prospect for the future and he has got the opportunity to show us what he can do in a very high pressurised game. It’s a bold move and I really hope it pays off on Saturday.
Meyer has said that Pollard has the right skill set for the way South Africa want to play the game. That means we can expect a much more ball in hand approach; carrying the ball up and keeping it in hand and play a more of an all-round game rather than a kicking dominated game. The Springboks will look to attack the New Zealand defence a bit more; that is something you have to do against the All Blacks, put them under pressure up front and then take the game to them in the backs. South Africa have to be smart about it though, they need to know when to carry and play in the right places and when to kick.
If you are going to play a higher paced game then there is the argument to have a No.9 who can clear the ball a bit quicker than Ruan Pienaar is doing at the moment. However, I think having Pienaar at scrum-half and Jean de Villiers at 12 will help settle Pollard down. If you play a relatively inexperienced No. 9 as well then you are putting a lot of pressure onto that half-back axis.
Talking about Jean de Villiers, well it is his 100th Springbok cap and let’s hope it goes a bit better than a couple of the other Springbok centurions. Bryan Habana’s 100th cap last weekend did not quite go to plan and in John Smit’s 100th Test he missed a tackle in the last minute which allowed Ma’a Nonu to score and win the game for New Zealand. Let’s hope the curse of the centurion does not strike in Wellington on Saturday. Jean is a great player and servant for South Africa and is always a good source of go-forward ball for the boks.
Another Springbok player I am looking forward to seeing in action is Duane Vermeulen. He has brought such physicality to the game, is making some tremendous defensive hits and is turning the ball over. I don’t think he has the same silky attacking skills of Kieran Read but he is a lot more physical. It will be interesting to see these two match up and obviously that will be dependent on how the packs get on. Read, for me personally, is the stand out No.8 in world rugby but Vermeulen has had a massive impact on the game this year.
I think the loss of Sam Whitelock is a huge blow for New Zealand because Whitelock and Brodie Retallick have evolved the way the modern lock plays the game. They have formed a really formidable combination in the second row and the Springboks may be able to disrupt the new pairing. Don’t count on it though as New Zealand seem to have this squad that seamlessly slot into the starting 15.
If South Africa are to have any chance of winning the Rugby Championship this year then they have to win on Saturday. All the odds are stacked against it but if this team really want to be a contender in world rugby then they have to step up and match the All Blacks in every facet – that is one heck of an ask though!
