Springboks
South Africa haven’t lost to a Six Nations team in four years, and because they have beaten New Zealand and Australia in their last two games (even though they lost away to both earlier), should be favoured to go through this tour unbeaten. They will not be fazed if the weather turns nasty either: they won in some crap conditions this year at home.
The Springboks won all their games on their last two end-of-year tours, but of the teams they are playing, Ireland have been a bit of of bogey team for them, winning three out of their last five. England lost ten and drew one of their last eleven against South Africa; Scotland won only one of their last twelve contests, and Wales beat the Springboks only once ever their 29 tests—in 1999.
Springboks – beat the All Blacks for the first time in three years
The form
They peaked at the end of the TRC when they beat the All Blacks for the first time in three years but their form was problematic through the season. They were darned lucky to win against Wales in Nelspruit and in both of their games against Argentina (one in a monsoon at Loftus).
South Africa will present a Stormers’ wall of defenders across the field against opponents on tour and not compete a lot in the rucks unless their initial hit produces a likely situation. In that case they will flood the ruck savagely.
Their competitors will seek to take the ball up the middle to suck defenders in, but they will find that the few Boks who are there will hold them back better than the average Six Nations team can. Trying to get around the corner is not advised; using a pod one pass out from the ruck should bear more fruit.
Their bench destroyed the Wallabies in Cape Town; so opponents will have to try to match them in the fourth quarter.
The Bok scrum was not perfect this year. It had problems against Argentina, home and away, yet they have taken just two specialist tighthead props on tour and one of them is uncapped.
Opponents could do a lot worse than play percentages and attack Victor Matfield every time at Bok lineouts, and throw elsewhere than where he is, at theirs.
Sometimes the Springbok backline malfunctioned through poor ball work and whacko decision making, but if they can get their back three involved a lot of times, especially fullback Willie le Roux, they will smoke defenders more than northerners may think.
Duane Vermeulen – Chief Bruiser
The Players
The Springboks will have nothing more to do than play their traditional bruising game well and be in the right areas of the field, but in multi-skilled Handre Pollard they now have a flyhalf who can launch an expansive game.
It may have been a coincidence that the Springboks played with an unaccustomed panache in the first half of their victory against NZ at Ellis Park, but Pollard could have signaled that he will be a circuit breaker in South African rugby and bring them to a new age.
That said, he is only 20 years-old and wasn’t that great against the Wallabies. Argentina pressured him relentlessly in Salta to some effect; opponents are advised to do the same.
As usual the Springboks are touring with an large squad (of 36). 29 were involved in the TRC and two have returned to the squad.
They have already blooded ten new Boks this year and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of the five uncapped players on the bench in Europe sometime—especially against Italy, and also against Wales when the Euro Boks will not be available because the test window will be closed.
Handre Pollard – will have to be pressured
Of the rookies, winger Senatia has been sensational for the Blitzbokke Sevens; tighthead prop Redelinghuys and opensider Kriel have been part of the Lions good season in the Currie Cup; Robbie Coetzee and Carr are already well-known from Super Rugby.
At the other end of the time scale old grunters Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, who are closer to 40 years-old than 30, will appear for the Boks in another visit to Europe. Although they are Springbok legends, their place in next year’s RWC is not a certainty and the coaches will be recalibrating their used-by dates on tour.
Players to watch out for:
Duane Vermeulen – the no. 8 is chief bruiser of a team of bruisers, and if he gets a position over your ball early in a ruck, you have lost it.
Wille le Roux – is a most unlikely style of player to come out of South Africa; he can hypnotise opponents before passing to a try-scorer, and can side-step them in a phone booth. The fullback will thrive if the Boks keep playing open rugby—and be a driver of it.
Handre Pollard – The closest thing to a young Dan Carter that we have seen for some time.
In their recent win against the All Blacks, he scored two tries from individual efforts once he got the ball in the Blacks’ 22. But even more impressive was passing the pill in his own 22 to start the attack leading to the Hougaard try, instead of kicking the ball.
Willie le Roux – can side-step defenders in a phone booth
Springboks’ touring squad
Backs: Damian de Allende, Jean de Villiers, (c), Johan Goosen*, Bryan Habana*, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar*, JP Pietersen, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Willie le Roux, Seabelo Senatla, Jan Serfontein, Morne Steyn*.
Forwards: Bakkies Botha*, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Marcell Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Eben Etzebeth, Lodewyk de Jager, Jaco Kriel, Victor Matfield, Teboho Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Julian Redelinghuys, Gurthro Steenkamp*, Adriaan Strauss, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley
Uncapped players: Senatla, Redelinghus, Kriel, Carr, R. Coetzee.
Springboks not available include: Fourie du Preez, Schalk Brits, Callie Visagie, Frans Malherbe, Marcel van der Merwe, Flip van der Merwe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Francois Louw, Siya Kolisi, Arno Botha, Pierre Spies, Willem Alberts.
* Play for European clubs and will not be available for the Wales test, as it is outside the autumn test window.
November 2014
Sat 8 – Ireland v. South Africa, Aviva Stadium – 17:30 GMT, 04:30 AEDT +1day – Fox Sports 2
Sat 15 – England v. South Africa, Twickenham – 14:30 GMT, 01:30 AEDT + 1day – Fox Sports 2
Sat 22 – Italy v. South Africa, Padova – 15:00 local, 01:00 AEDT +1day – Fox Sports 1
Sat 29 – Wales v. South Africa, Millennium Stadium – 14:30 GMT, 01:30 AEDT +1day – Fox Sports 1
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