The biggest rivalry in international rugby continues on Saturday when the Boks host the All Blacks at Newlands.
The DetailsDate: Saturday 16 August 2008
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 15.00 SA (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Matt Goddard (Aus)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England), James Leckie (Aus)
TMO: Geoff Warren (Eng)
The Teams
[TABLE=91]
The Stats
Springbok Stats:
15 Percy Montgomery (WP) : 34 yrs : 99 tests : 1.84m : 84kg
14 JP Pietersen (Sharks) : 21 yrs : 19 tests : 1.93m : 91kg
13 Adrian Jacobs (Sharks) : 27 yrs : 15 tests : 1.79m : 88kg
12 Jean de Villiers (WP) : 27 yrs : 40 tests : 1.90m : 98kg
11 Bryan Habana (Bulls) : 25 yrs : 42 tests : 1.79m : 90kg
10 Butch James (Bath) : 28 yrs : 32 tests : 1.86m : 100kg
09 Fourie du Preez (Bulls) : 26 yrs : 25 tests : 1.88m : 75kg
08 Pierre Spies (Bulls) : 23 yrs : 13 tests : 1.94m : 103kg
07 Juan Smith (Cheetahs) : 26 yrs : 49 tests : 1.96m : 104kg
06 Schalk Burger (WP) : 25 yrs : 43 tests : 1.93m : 106kg
05 Victor Matfield (Bulls) : 31 yrs : 74 tests : 2.00m : 115kg
04 Andries Bekker (WP) : 24 yrs : 7 tests : 2.08m : 120kg
03 CJ van der Linde (Bulls) : 27 yrs : 54 tests : 1.89m : 125kg
02 Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks) : 24 yrs : 16 tests : 1.89m : 112kg
01 Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks) : 23 yrs : 4 tests : 1.88m : 115kg
16 Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs) : 22 yrs : 2 tests : 1.87m : 103kg
17 Brian Mujati (WP) : 23 yrs : 6 tests : 1.81m : 116kg
18 Danie Rossouw (Bulls) : 30 yrs : 32 tests : 1.98m : 118kg
19  Cheeky Watson jr (WP) : 24 yrs : 7 tests : 1.84m : 100kg
20 Ricky Januarie (WP) : 26 yrs : 28 tests : 1.68m : 75kg
21 Francois Steyn (Sharks) : 21 yrs : 22 tests : 1.91m : 100kg
22 Conrad Jantjes (WP) : 28 yrs : 18 tests : 1.83m : 89kg
All Blacks Stats:
15 Mils Muliaina (Chiefs) : 27 yrs : 62 tests : 1.83m : 93kg
14Â Richard Kahui (Chiefs) : 23 yrs ; 3 tests : 1.86m : 95kg
13Â Conrad Smith (Hurricanes) : 26 yrs : 18 tests : 1.86m : 95kg
12 Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes) : 26 yrs : 25 tests : 1.82m : 102kg
11Â Sitiveni Sivivatu (Chiefs) : 26 yrs : 28 tests : 1.85m : 100kg
10Â Dan Carter (Crusaders) : 26 yrs : 51 tests : 1:78m : 91kg
09Â Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders) : 26 yrs : 14 tests : 1.82m : 91kg
08Â Jerome Kaino (Blues) : 25 yrs : 8 tests : 1.96m : 109kg
07Â Richie McCaw (Crusaders) : 27 yrs : 63 tests : 1.87m : 106kg
06 Rodney So’oialo (Hurricanes) : 28 yrs : 48 tests : 1.90m : 107kg
05Â Brad Thorn (Crusaders) : 33 yrs : 18 tests : 1.95m : 113kg
04Â Ali Williams (Crusaders) : 27 yrs : 53 tests ; 2.02m : 112kg
03Â Greg Somerville (Crusaders) : 24 yrs : 62 tests : 1.83m : 126kg
02Â Andrew Hore (Hurricanes) : 29 yrs : 33 tests : 1.83m : 111kg
01Â Tony Woodcock (Blues) : 27 yrs : 44 tests : 1.84m : 118kg
16Â Keven Mealamu (Blues) : 29 yrs : 57 tests : 1.81m : 106kg
17Â John Afoa (Blues) : 24 yrs : 7 tests : 1.83m : 126kg
18Â Anthony Boric (Blues) : 24 yrs : 4 tests : 2.00m : 110kg
19Â Adam Thomson (Hurricanes) : 26 yrs : 5 tests : 1.96m : 112kg
20Â Piri Weepu (Hurricanes) : 24 yrs : 21 tests : 1.78m : 95kg
21Â Stephen Donald ( Chiefs) : 24 yrs : 3 tests : 1.90m : 98kg
22Â Isaia Toeava (Blues) : 22 yrs : 15 tests : 1.82m : 92kg
The Talk
Graham Henry
“It’s the most difficult place that New Zealand teams have played in the history of the game.
“The All Blacks over the last few years have been among the best in the world at times, and they’ve struggled. That shows the magnitude of the task.
“The first Test I watched was back in 1956. The All Blacks beat the Springboks in that series 3-1 after losing a series in 1949. Everybody felt proud again after beating the Boks.
“It’s the No 1 contest in the world and long may it continue. Everybody is usually on edge in the build up to one of these tests and I’m sure this Saturday is going to be another big one.
“It’s the biggest challenge in world rugby at the moment. It’s a pivotal game against a proud nation, and the pressure is certainly on.
“It’s been our policy for this Tri-Nations to settle on a team and changes were made because of injury. We are not looking to change for change’s sake.
“People who have been involved in the game will understand the physicality. Some of our guys only recover on the Thursday after a big Test the previous week. When you have a guy struggling and another guy of almost equal ability available, then why not play the second guy.
“The media call it rotation, but I call it common sense.
“There’ve been a lot of positive signs for the game of rugby. The game has become more of a spectacle and I know the guys enjoy the challenge under the new laws.
“The ball was in play for 39 minutes (in the Sydney Test). Last year the average was 25 or 26 minutes so it requires a different kind of athlete. It also requires some astute substituting. It’s something we needed to learn.
“We were simply out-thought by Robbie Deans. He had something like 20 games experience whereas we had just two under the ELVs. We have since been trying to get it right.
“We learned a lot from the Sydney situation. We had to put our heads together to come up wit a different strategy. But we can’t play against South Africa the same way we played against Australia.
“When you have dominance at set piece you can control field position and that’s what we did.
“If you don’t get dominance at set piece, which could be the case against South Africa, then you have to use the ball that’s kicked to you, otherwise you don’t use the ball at all.
“There’s always pressure for every Test match and it’s no different for the team for this one.
“Throughout the year, you’ll go through a series of Test matches and identify the really big ones and this is right up there, possibly the biggest. So as a team, we feel pressure to succeed.
“Saturday will be the true test for us. We’re up against the best lineout in the world. Australia only had two lineout jumpers, where the Boks have a number of options. So it’ll be a real test for us.
“They’re always good in the scrums and I’m impressed with the talent they have there. They were very good against Argentina and I expect that to be a pretty even contest.â€
Richie McCaw
“If you are not 100 per cent and get things dead right, you will come second. You just have to make sure you get your preparation right to play as well as you can.
“The win two weeks ago was satisfying, but it’s easy to do one. It’s about being able to back that performance up and that’s what we’re trying to do.
“How a backrower operates comes off what happens in front of you. The last match was a great indicator of that. The front five got stuck in and made our jobs a lot easier.
On Schalk Burger:
“He adds a lot of energy there, and in the physical side of things he is always in amongst it. How effective you are depends on whether you get front-foot ball or not. I know certainly, when you don’t have front-foot ball, he can be a real menace.
“We have two games left and if we can win those two games, we give ourselves a chance.”
Wayne Smith
“It doesn’t matter how much possession you have, it’s how you use it. With the new sanctions at the breakdown you also don’t want to be caught in possession too often. And then the free kick can often give the momentum to the opposing team.Â
“That’s why we see a lot more kicking under the new laws. It gives the attacking team the opportunity to put more pressure on the other team.â€
Mils Muliana
“We just have to do it again in South Africa. We have seen that a lot can happen in one week. But that’s the standard we have set ourselves now and we can’t go below it.
“The Wallabies hurt us in Sydney but desire and desperation came out last weekend and we have to take that physicality in against the Springboks.
“We have set a benchmark now and we can’t afford to go backwards or we will come second.
“Just the way the competition is at the moment … how tight it is … it’s going to be a massive game.
“As a player you want to be in this pressure-cooker stuff. These are the games you really relish. There’s a lot at stake – the Tri-Nations and then the Bledisloe Cup with our match in Brisbane.
“These are the games guys should be striding for apart from the World Cup. They are that tough, especially beating South Africa over there.”
Greg Somerville
“We’ve always played within the laws and we’ll always try to put them under pressure. It’s not cheating to get stuck in and have a real go at each other.
“I thought the Boks did well against Argentina last week. The Beast is going well, but so is CJ on the tighthead side.
“BJ is still one of the best tightheads in the world in my opinion. He gets a good hit and gives them a great platform. That’s not to say the other Bok players aren’t up to scratch, but I’m surprised that BJ is not even in the picture.
“We expect the usual from the Boks. We want to play an entertaining style of rugby but that cannot be at the expense of the basics. The Boks play that type of game and pay a lot of attention to the set-pieces.â€
Steve Hansen
“Going into this game we will be the underdogs. We’ve seen that home turf counts for a lot in this competition and they have a great record in South Africa.
“It’s good in that everyone gets the opportunity to rest up, but not so because you lose momentum.
“They have had rugby and game time and that’s an advantage. The key thing for us is we prepare in a genuine fashion. If your preparation is honest and bone deep then you are going to be ready.
“But their game hasn’t changed much. It’s easier to get up for South Africa because you know it’s such a huge physical challenge.
“That’s not to say the Wallabies are not physical, you saw what they did to us in Sydney, but sometimes with Australia you can tend to think you are expected do the job and you struggle.â€
Richard Kahui
On his match-up with Bryan Habana:
“I saw him race a Cheetah mate. He’s lightning quick. His acceleration is phenomenal and he is unpredictable. Just an awesome player.
“But the collective is more important to us than any individual. Sure I’ve done some analyses on him but there’s nothing we don’t already know. This Springbok side is so good that if you focus on one player, another is sure to hurt you. The collective will be more important than any individual. If the ball doesn’t reach him he can’t play. That’s the basic principle and one that will be doubly important with a winger like Habana.
“They’ve picked a side capable of playing in a number of different ways. So they very well may look to kick on me. They have the players to do that in Fourie du Preez, Percy Montgomery and Butch James. But I’m not fretting about it. I’ll deal with that if it happens.
“While I’m technically a winger, the coaching staff have given me the freedom to play as a roving midfielder, which is superb because it allows me to express all the skills I use there and I determine how much I get my hands on the ball. I suppose it gives our backline attack an unpredictable edge.
“I don’t want to spend my entire career switching between positions. I want to become the best centre in the world. But at this stage I’ll take any opportunity that comes my way. Wearing the No 14 jersey so many great names have worn before is a privilege.
“It hasn’t been a massive adjustment. In the modern game every position in the backline requires pretty much the same skills set. At school I spent a lot of time playing flyhalf and fullback and that honed my kicking game. What we see today is that wingers are required to kick more and more – so in that regard, that particular skill is transferable, in the same way many others are.â€
Brad Thorn
“I’ve just come from rugby league and the same thing has happened there, the bigger guys find it harder. With the ELVs, there is definitely a fitness element, so it’s going to be interesting to see how, over the next five to 10 years, things develop.
“The last time I played rugby union, I was about 118kgs. This time I’ve come back and kept myself around 114kgs and I’ve found that’s been a real bonus for my fitness levels. There’s no point going out on the park carrying anything extra.
“You obviously need to have the strength element and the size for scrummaging and other areas but you still have to be able to get around the pitch.
“Bakkies brings a physical element to the game, but they have brought in an absolute monster who is playing on his home ground and I’m sure it’s going to be a big moment for him. I think he’s a real talent. I’ve been really impressed with him.â€
Dan Carter
On Butch James’ physical approach to the game:
“We don’t really have any plans to counter this, that’s just the way he plays – he’s extremely physical. That’s what makes him the player he is, but we won’t change where we want to attack because of this or the way we want to play.
On his last Test visit to Newlands in 2005 which the Boks won 22-16:
“That was a tough game for me and the team. Saturday will be just as tough, but it’s one of those challenges we look forward to. South Africa at home is one of the sternest Tests you are going to play, but I’m looking forward to playing well because we weren’t great last time out.
“You are as only as good as your team-mates and it all starts up front – we need a platform from the forwards. Jimmy kicked extremely well at Eden Park and that took a lot of heat off me. Hopefully there will be more of the same of that on Saturday.
On the inclusion of Fourie Du Preez:
“It will potentially have an impact on Butch’s play. We saw the way Ricky Januarie can split teams up the middle with his break in Dunedin, but Fourie is world-class. He’s a great dictator and great reader of the game, and that showed versus Argentina.
“Both teams have pretty much everything riding on this in terms of the tournament – it’s like a knockout for us especially. This adds to the occasion and ensures it’s a must-win. There is no point in saving ourselves, there’s no holding back.â€
Peter De Villiers
On Monty’s 100th test:
“I don’t think it could happen to a greater rugby player. The professional he is now and the experience he brings to the side is massive. He is an extraordinary person who is willing to share everything he knows with everyone in the side. Even if he is not playing, he is still the same character who doesn’t change – it is a privilege to work with him.
“We all know Percy’s strengths, and he helped us in Dunedin. We will need to use those attributes again this weekend.
“Milestones like this don’t come around every day. There have been 800 Boks and every one of them has been passionate about the game. Percy has done it 100 times over, and he has never lost that passion and drive to perform.
“If I can only be as humble as he has been I’ll be happy. He isn’t just a rugby player, he’s a true professional – he doesn’t take anything for granted. We can all learn from him – he is an inspiration for everyone in the team.â€
On Saturday’s game:
“It is obvious that as World Champions, our biggest strengths are in the line-out and in the scrum.
“And it is precisely here where the opposition will try and neutralise us. The All Blacks use tactics which are illegal and as far as I know if it is illegal, then it is not allowed.
“I have a letter from the IRB which prohibits me from talking to the referee.
“We have picked up three things that they do which are illegal in the line-outs. It starts with their flank coming through the line-out illegally to stop any ball thrown down to the scrumhalf. They also do their best to play the line-out jumpers in the air and jump across the line and then thirdly they manage to close the gap to a half a metre between the two sets of players.
“All I know is that if there is a rule, and if it applies to one team, it applies to both teams. The referee has to blow according to the rules and not according to his interpretation, it’s that simple.
“If I looked at reserve halfback, and I have to choose between Ruan Pienaar and Fourie du Preez, and I sent Fourie back, I would have to have my head read.
“The same goes in a decision between Jaque Fourie and Frans Steyn. I told Ruan and Frans, it is great to have you here, but if Fourie or Jaque are back, then you are at the back of the queue again.
“I told them, you can go back and decide where you want to play. But with every decision there is a responsibility and that responsibility is that if you choose to play first five-eighths, you must know there are players ahead of you. The same goes for halfback, there you must know Bolla, Fourie and Ricky are all ahead of you.
“Ruan is a very good player, but as a halfback, I have to ask if he does all the basic things that a halfback has to do. This is what I look for and I have to be honest about these things. If Ruan and Frans were playing badly, then it would be easier, but they aren’t playing badly.
“The coach is possibly wrong, but I have to choose and stick by my decision. Both are great players but there are players here who have a little bit extra because they are specialists.
“In 2005 Carter was not as experienced as he is now and you don’t go back and look at things like that.
“With the amount of games he has played, the experience came and that you don’t go buy at any Checkers on a Sunday, you just get that from playing under that tremendous pressure that he has been put under.
“His kicking in particular is outstanding and he can control a Test with his boot. He takes me back to the way Naas Botha used to play.
“But we can’t focus on him alone. We tried a few things in Wellington and we could never get him off his game and for us to now go concentrate on a guy who is so strong at what he can do would be a mistake. We’d rather take the support structures out.
“I knew we’d win that Test in Dunedin when 14 All Blacks were looking to one man to win the match for them.
“The difference is that we have 15 players here and if we can do our jobs and just believe in ourselves and believe that we are much better at certain areas than any other world team I think we can go far.â€
“That Test is done, over and done with, it’s part of history. Nothing of that Test will come back to help us or come back to haunt us on Saturday.
“There are a lot of other things that you have to take into consideration. And we did just that last week on our own and we started now with the senior players and the rest of the coaching staff. So we are buying into what we want to do against them and I hope it’s going to work.
“I know their defensive structure is one of the best. Now they have McCaw back and he is combining well with the other loose forwards. Their roles are very different now and that calls for some alterations in our plans.
“The All Blacks are a drilled side, with a lot of attention to detail and if we are going to neglect that then I think we will be in deeper trouble than we expect.
“We can’t live in the past. We have to move on. If you look at Ricky’s workload this year in the Super 14 and in the Test matches, you’ll realise that a lot has been asked of him. The legs were definitely starting to get a bit heavier and it was time to make the change.
“I’ve always promised players that I’ll be honest with them in all areas and while it was a hard call to make, I feel it was the right one given the type of game we want to play. It’s great to be in a position to say to two players who have done nothing wrong, ‘Look sorry but you’re not going to start’. It’s a blessing.
“Ricky and Conrad don’t have bad kicking games at all. But Fourie is very good off the boot and Percy offers us a left-footed option which is valuable. We know how we want to play against New Zealand and those players offer us the strengths we need to play the game we want to.
“I aim to have 15 perfect players who are able to execute a wide range of skills. They will read the situation and play accordingly. But it’s always soothing to know you have two players who can do that job and that frees Butch to shift the ball.â€
Dick Muir
“We are hoping for a dry day, but both teams are used to the wet weather and have played in those conditions in this Tri-Nations. It’s a special day for Monty and for all those players who are playing with him, and good weather will only add to the occasion.
“Ricky has done an outstanding job – he was the difference between the teams in Dunedin. Fourie probably has a better kicking game, but both players are world-class and it’s a good situation to have these options and this depth.â€
Gary Gold
On the upcoming forward battle:
“Beast took a lot of confidence from that Argentina game and I realise that going up against Somerville will be a big test. But it’s a test I’m excited about and I believe it will go well.
“I felt we scrummed well in Dunedin. We have a tremendous amount of faith in Gurthro and Beast. We’ve placed an emphasis on our scrumming and hopefully we’ll see the results at the weekend.
“I definitely think the balance is better with Richie McCaw back in the team. He hits the ball hard and we will need to keep a special eye on him.
“But that’s not to say Kaino and So’oialo won’t be a handful. I also believe Adam Thomson has had a good start to Test rugby.
“The All Blacks have a formidable combination in that area with Thorn the more physical player and Williams the more mobile player. But I think Andries has really lifted his physicality this year. We saw elements of that against Argentina.â€
Percy Montgomery
On his 100th test match:
“It’s a special moment for me, particularly because it’s at Newlands where I spent a big part of my career and against the All Blacks. You couldn’t have asked for a better script.
“I’m trying not to talk about it too much – I haven’t even got there and played the game yet. The guys have been chirping me at practice about it, but we all know we have to focus on the Tri-Nations – the next three weeks – and that all starts this Saturday and winning there.
“It was easy to come back when Peter approached me. I love playing for my country and I know I’ve got a lot to offer younger players like Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar and Conrad Jantjes.
“His honesty stands out for me, you always know where you stand with him. I’m also enjoying some expansive rugby.â€
Victor Matfield
“If you look at the stats from games over the last two years you’ll see that often the team that has less possession won the game. Maybe there’s a trend developing there.
“But decision making will be key. We put a premium on keeping possession but it’s important that we read the situation and make sharp decisions and execute accurately. Using the ball in the right manner is extremely important against the All Blacks.â€
Bryan Habana
“I hope to make a huge contribution this weekend. It’s true that I haven’t had many opportunities to finish myself, but other aspects of my game have opened it up for guys like Adi and JP.
“The last victory against the All Blacks was a historic one, so you could say we’ve acheived a lot this year. But this Saturday is a huge starting point on home soil.
“It’s a very important game as a loss would see either side on the wrong side of the table. It could see us out of the running for the Tri-Nations title.
“It’s going to be three of the toughest weeks I’ve ever experienced. Every week will be like playing a final. All the analysis is well and good but it’s a different story when you run out onto that park. You can be prepared but you still have to go out there and play to win.â€
Fourie Du Preez
“All Tests against New Zealand, old rules or new rules, will always be a tactical battle with lots of good kicking needed. We saw how Jimmy Cowan and Dan Carter kicked for the All Blacks in the last test against Australia. But with the ELVs there is always room for a little bit of everything.
“All I want to do is work my way into my best form and to make the best decisions for the team. I don’t want to talk about politics. I’m just a proudly South African member of society who wants to play rugby for my country. Peter has chosen me, and now I must prove myself.â€
Schalk Burger
“Playing against Richie is something I always look forward to. As a player, you always want to measure yourself against the best.
“He’s a fantastic player but he’s also a great leader. In a way you can compare what he’s done for New Zealand with what John Smit’s done for South Africa. His input was massive in the last game.
“While I can say I’m definitely not going to miss Jerry Collins, who is really one of a kind, I think this loose trio has some powerful runners. So’oialo does provide the back row with a more balanced look. They’re going to be tough to beat.
“It all starts with the forwards up front and we are going to have to clean out well at the breakdown.
“We need to ensure we go out and play proper rugby this weekend. We can’t afford to make as many errors as we did last week against Argentina.â€
Andries Bekker
“We are definitely going to miss Bakkies, he’s a special player. I think Bakkies plays in his own way, but I will bring my own physical edge to the game. But I’m really happy. I’m starting against the All Blacks at Newlands, what more can I ask for.
“I see the game as a big challenge, especially now with Bakkies out. If I don’t step up this weekend I think I will have ruined my chances to start again, so its a big one for me.
“I think they are a more well rounded side now. I think they have improved a lot since they lost to Australia, and of course Richie makes a huge difference.
“I think fitness is starting to play a big role now under the new laws, especially with the quick taps we run more and especially for the locks, we have to tackle more. I’m quite happy with my fitness. We’ve done a lot of fitness work during the last week.â€
🙂 Boks by 3