Match Preview : All Blacks vs Springboks in Wellington
July 12, 2008 - 1:22pm
Story by: ARU
It has not been a happy time over the ditch this week and if the build up to the Springboks and All Blacks Tri-Nations clash in Dunedin at 5.30pm today (AEST) is anything to go by - we are in for a very explosive match.
In the bitter cold of the south, both teams have laid on the bitter barbs.
It started with the usually demure Springbok captain John Smit laying into the All Blacks alleged “preferential treatment” by referees and illegalities at scrum time before he flew home to South Africa due to an injury that may or may not have been caused by New Zealand lock Brad Thorn picking him up and dropping him during last week’s Test in Wellington.
An incident Thorn later received a one match ban for.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry then accused the Boks of targeting New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter, which shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, considering he’s probably the best player on the planet.
But then it turned from a bit of verbal push and shove to an international incident when former All Blacks prop Craig Dowd branded Springboks head coach Peter de Villiers a political 'puppet' and said if de Villiers knew anything about Rugby – Dowd was yet to see it.
The roar went so high as to draw response from the South African Honorary Consul in New Zealand Gregory Fortuin who said he found Dowd’s personal attack on the Springbok coach offensive.
The air between the teams was already heated before Dowd weighed in, now it’s set to instantaneously combust. How young Australian referee Matt Goddard will handle this loaded situation is anyone’s guess.
On the field the All Blacks look to have the edge again.
New Zealandwere extremely impressive last week, especially considering the number of new players in the side and the fact they were playing without superstars like captain Richie McCaw and winger Joe Rokocoko.
In fact watching them comprehensively out play the Boks, the 18 – 9 scoreline flattered South Africa, it was difficult to fathom how the same team dropped out of the World Cup in such tepid fashion in the Quarter Finals, only nine months ago.
But the answer is as simple as a number on a jersey – 10. The number of All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter who was sitting on the sidelines when New Zealand bowed out to France in the World Cup.
Carter was peerless last weekend, his kicking game near perfection, his distribution and running close behind, and it’s difficult to imagine any team in the world even troubling the All Blacks when Carter is playing this well.
If he’s at a similar standard today – the Boks will have no chance.
For their part the Boks last week seemed if not clue-less, then definitely plan-less. They have an extraordinarily talented side, perhaps even better on paper than the All Blacks, but if you are going to win in New Zealand you need have a plan on how to do it.
You can’t just go out and play general, let’s see how it goes Rugby. You need to have a plan then be specific, precise and very very disciplined in executing that plan.
Former Springbok coach Jake White had a plan on how to win in New Zealand and he almost, and should of, pulled off one or even two victories in the land of the long white cloud.
Twice, in Dunedin in 2005 and in Christchurch in 2004, he was cheated out of well earned wins by last minute All Black tries.
But that was the coach who won the World Cup, without Jean de Villiers and Pierre Spies (and Schalk Burger for half the tournament), and this is Peter de Villiers at the start of his career.
De Villiers seems intent on trying to play Rugby when White knew that the only way to even challenge the All Blacks in New Zealand was to do anything but play Rugby.
There are some changes - Percy Montgomery comes in at fullback for the unlucky Conrad Jantjes, and this suggests de Villiers has realised how important a good kicking game will be to pin the All Blacks down and try to stop them establishing a rhythm.
But super-boot Francois Steyn is still on the bench, not at inside centre where he was such an integral part of the Boks World Cup victory last year.
Another World Cup winner JP Pietersen is back on the wing, more through faith than form, and the forward pack, who were surprisingly outplayed in Wellington, are retained on mass except for powerful youngster Bismarck du Plessis coming in at hooker for his injured captain.
If the Boks are to have the slightest hint of a victory the forwards must dominate for the full 80 minutes. They have the players to do it but they must lift noticeably under new captain Victor Matfield.
Spies or Ryan Kankowski coming in at No.8 would’ve helped but the talented Joe van Niekerk holds his spot. Spies would’ve added more explosive power and Kankowski more pace but De Villiers stick with the likeable Van Niekerk, and he must be hoping ‘Big Joe’ gets more of a chance to show off his silky skills this weekend.
The All Black’s have only made minor changes as well with the bulkier prop John Afoa getting his chance for Greg Somerville, who may be reaching the twilight of his international career. Young Blues lock Anthony Boric comes in for the suspended Thorn a touch.
As Henry openly admitted this week, the faster, more skilled based game under the ELVs suits his team and the scoreboard could get very nasty for the Boks today.
Not the 49-0 thrashing they got in Brisbane in 2006, but not that far away.
Sadly the best chance for the Boks is to be as physical as they can and carry the off-field sourness on to the field. They have to try and stop the All Blacks playing Rugby by whatever means possible.
Kick to the corners, slow the game down, try to win some of New Zealand’s line out throws, disrupt the Al Blacks attack with rush defence and hope Jean De Villiers or speedster Bryan Habana gets an intercept.
It’s a simple game plan and as White shows, it works. But conversely Peter de Villiers will try to be as positive as possible – and that suits the All Blacks perfectly.
De Villiers however maybe ready to change tact when the Boks travel to Perth to take on the Qantas Wallabies next Saturday.
Recent results:
2008 New Zealand won 19-8 in Wellington
2007 New Zealand won 33-6 in Christchurch
2007 New Zealand won 26-21 in Durban
2006 South Africa won 21-20 in Rustenburg
2006 New Zealand won 45-26 in Pretoria
2006 New Zealand won 35-17 in Wellington
2005 New Zealand won 31-27 in Dunedin
2005 South Africa won 22-16 in Cape Town
2004 South Africa won 40-26 in Johannesburg
2004 New Zealand won 23-21 in Christchurch
2003 New Zealand won 29-9 in Sydney (RWC)
2003 New Zealand won 19-11 in Dunedin
2003 New Zealand won 52-16 in Pretoria
2002 New Zealand won 30-23 in Durban
2002 New Zealand won 41-20 in Wellington
2001 New Zealand won 26-15 in Auckland
2001 New Zealand won 12-3 in Cape Town
The teams:
New Zealand:15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Rodney So'oialo (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Anthony Boric, 3 John Afoa, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Kevin O'Neill, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Leon MacDonald.
South Africa:15 Percy Montgomery, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Joe van Niekerk, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Britz, 17 Brian Mujati, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Luke Watson, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Francois Steyn, 22 Conrad Jantjes.
Date: Saturday, July 12
Venue: Carisbrook, Dunedin
Kick-off: 19:35 (08:35 BST)
Weather: Strong north-westerly wind, 7°C but feeling fresher, slight chance of rain.
Referee: Matt Goddard
Assistants: James Leckie, Paul Marks
TMO: George Ayoub
