Jake White reviews the Wallabies' win over the Boks and highlights some defensive flaws on Bryan Habana's wing.
There was much talk before the match and while the Boks were in Australasia of how much work had been put into the senior Boks in their camp in Rustenburg. However, it wasn't evident in Durban on Saturday. Peter de Villiers said we won the game everywhere but on the scoreboard, and no wonder he's still optimistic and 90% sure we'll win the World Cup.
Another worrying aspect that was clear during this Test is how unfit the team is. Their match fitness could've been excused in not playing in a while – which was the coach's choice – but their general fitness also isn't good enough. The fittest teams have historically won the World Cup, and that's not a good omen for these Boks. You just have to look at footage of these players in 2007 and compare that to now. You can just look at the body types of the players to notice the difference.
Much was talked about the Bok defence and the improvement we'd see, but I thought it was essentially the same standard as last year. The Wallabies dropped many balls in contact on the first phase, which meant they didn't put much pressure on the Bok defence. Once that happens, then we'll see how the structure looks, once sides put a few phases together against them. In essence, they weren't tested.
When the game loosened up just before half-time when the Wallabies knocked on with the line beckoning, and during periods of the second half, the Boks were exposed badly. And it could've been worse, which is even more disconcerting.
Another worrying aspect is how Bryan Habana's wing is again been targeted. It's a lingering problem that has still not been solved. Last year after the Boks played Ireland, an article was written on this site, showing how Habana was being targeted. The Wallabies' try on Saturday again came on Habana's flank, and the Boks should be asking why most of the tries against them in recent times are on his side. For Pat McCabe's score, simple hands to Habana's flank gave them the try, where the winger was absent.
The substitutions were poor, which has happened before. It was unfair to move John Smit to tighthead late in the game, but with Gurthro Steenkamp on the bench and Jannie du Plessis' fitness not being backed, it was always the plan to move Smit there. It was surprising the Boks didn't realise before hand what an impact that would have, as Smit has previously struggled against Australian scrums.
The Boks' first phase was poor, which didn't give players such as Butch James a chance to show their abilities and see whether the Bok attack has improved. Bismarck du Plessis was a positive off the bench.
It's the fist time in 40 years the Boks have lost back to back home Tests against Australia, and they could for the first time lose all four Tri-Nations Tests. They now play a weakened New Zealand side without their two best players in Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, and there's lots of pressure on the Boks.
