Countdown Day 2 – Boks vs All Blacks

The second day of the buildup to Saturday’s test passed fairly uneventfully. It is interesting to see (or rather hear) the difference between the buildup towards playing the All Blacks, as opposed to the Wallabies.

The silence is deafening. No Australian coaches trying to influence the referee through wild accusations, no Australian players mouthing off about the upcoming fixture, and no incidents involving Australian players being taunted by local fans or throwing up in potplants outside nightclubs.

For South African players and fans alike, Boks vs All Blacks is the real test match rivalry. A tradition based on mutual respect for one another’s abilities, and of honouring the sporting rivalries of the past.

In fact, the player doing most of the talking today was (surprise!) Wallaby lock Nathan Sharpe who stated that the Boks are not as good as they think they are.

John Smit talked about the injury that will keep him out of rugby for at least two weeks. He said that he couldn’t remember when last he had been helped off the field due to an injury.

“You don’t get too many forwards with a hammy, but my spokes got stuck in the ground during a scrum and I soon realised that I couldn’t continue,” he said.

It was revealed before today’s training session in Durban North that Smit had injured a knee and tweaked a hamstring against the Wallabies in last Saturday’s Tri Nations opener.

“John will probably be out for one or two weeks. But it is not that serious,” said Gert Smal. “We have to make do with what we have because injuries are inevitable.”

Guthro Steenkamp is still injured, but Juan Smith and Bobby Skinstad could be ready for Saturday’s clash.

The All Blacks had a day off from serious training activities today – most of the squad went fishing or played golf. They will have their first real training session tomorrow.

Springbok backline coach Allister “Alliswell” Coetzee spoke about the importance of pressurizing Dan Carter.

“We rushed Larkham and if you look at the first dropped goal from the touchline, it was pressure from Ruan and he couldn’t get the ball into touch.

“Of course Carter’s human. He showed it when we played them in Cape Town (in 2005) and we put him under pressure. Ricky Januarie played that game and that was his instruction to make sure we closed that space down.

“If you stand back and wait for the New Zealanders they’ll run you to pieces. We’re playing against real athletes this weekend. I’d like to think they’ll play a bit of an expansive game as well, instead of kicking it down the middle like they have done in the past with us.”

He stressed the importance of this game in the preparations for the Rugby World Cup later this year.

“It means a lot. You’ve got to win five games to get to the final, this is our fifth test so it’s exactly a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, to play five tough games and make sure you win it. This game has got all the relevance of a final, absolutely.”

Springbok forwards coach Smal also had a few things to say about Saturday’s match.

“These are one of those games that young boys dream about when they aspire to one day don the green and gold so those who play for the Springboks on Saturday will find it a very special occasion. If you want to beat them you have to match them physically otherwise you do not stand a chance against them.

“They are such a good side. They are not number one in the world for nothing. There are not a lot of weaknesses, but yes, we have looked at where they are weakest, and where their strengths are, and we have planned accordingly.

“I think that (the scrum) is where they want to attack and they are looking to Oliver to give a little edge there. I think they are probably the best disciplined scrum in world rugby.

“I think it is all perception that their line-outs are a weak spot. I think they play that area very well. They may not have a lot of variations, but we are very much aware of what they are going to throw at us. They are a clever team. They will always be able to manipulate certain things to get their way on the field.

All Black lock Troy Flavell talked about the impending battle in the lineouts. “It is exciting. It’s been a long time for me and it’s great we’ve both come through to be here. It’s a great opportunity and it gives me and Dolph (Rawinson) another chance to take these guys on, head on.

“We know how each other plays, we know what they’re capable of. Matfield does a lot of homework. He studies teams and works out where key players are who trigger the lineouts.I think he’s just a good reader of the opposition lineout. That’s something we’d like to be as well,” said Flavell.

Gert Smal continued: “It is an important game for us, especially in terms of preparations towards the World Cup. But it is not a dress rehearsal for the final, a lot of water still needs to flow under the bridge until then. You can’t afford to let one game at this time of year destroy your World Cup aspirations. The World Cup will be a different campaign, win or lose. It will be a hard-fought traditional South Africa versus New Zealand game.”

He revealed that last week’s game against the Wallabies had been more physical than expected and that, as a result, there were many aching bodies in the Bok camp.

“The Wallabies put up one of the best defensive efforts in the past four years. They put in a lot of double gang tackles. But we are okay. We have given the players an extra day off to recover. We have discussed many things during the past day or two and everything is well planned. It is only a matter of how we are going to apply it.”

Victor Matfield is set to captain the side, with Bobby Skinstad possibly offering experienced leadership backup if he starts at No 8.

At the Bok training session today, Danie Rossouw practiced at No 7 in place of Juan Smith, with Bob Skinstad slotting in for Pierre Spies at No 8. Spies looks set to warm the bench.

Frans Steyn may also start on the wing, as Ashwin Willemse practiced with the replacements today. Jaque Fourie sat out the session on the sidelines and was replaced by Wynand Olivier at outside centre, raising questions that he may be injured. Vusi Kama, the Springbok team spokesperson, wouldn’t reveal the reason why Fourie had not taken part in training.

“I have orders from the team management that Jaque and any other injured player will be discussed at Wednesday’s news conference,” he said. Today’s session was the Boks’ first since arriving in Durban, making Fourie’s absence all the more puzzling.

Gary Botha and Os du Randt packed down in the scrums in place of John Smit and Gurthro Steenkamp respectively.

“Losing two thirds of your frontrow is a bit disruptive in terms of continuity but then it is important to test your depth in the event of injury,” said Gert Smal.

And finally, former All Black captain Stu Wilson was already looking ahead with apprehension to New Zealand’s next Tri Nations outing against Australia.

He said that it would be a difficult game for the Kiwis, given their demanding schedule, which involves playing the Springboks in Durban on Saturday before taking on the Australians in Melbourne.

“Don’t tell me travelling from Auckland to South Africa and then back to Australia doesn’t affect you because it does. All the scientific research tells you your body clock suffers. We have to go over and have a crack at an angry bunch of rhino hunters – which is never easy – then fly to Melbourne and play a team which has had a week off. And bear in mind we haven’t actually had a tough game yet.”