Springboks have head start on New Zealand
Bok squad has been in Japan for two weeks adjusting to humid conditions while All Blacks arrived on Monday
The Springboks will have a good head start on the All Blacks in terms of acclimatising to the conditions in Japan with 11 days to go before their Rugby World Cup (RWC) clash in Yokohama.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has deliberately taken his squad into the hotter‚ muggier south of the country to prepare in the city of Kagoshima.
It is not a RWC venue but a training base. It is one of the only major cities not connected to Tokyo by rail and required a two-hour flight from the main city to get there. But it has all the essentials the Boks need.
On Monday Erasmus put the squad through a 90-minute training session in sweltering heat in front of thousands of locals who turned up to watch.
Considering two points or fewer have decided the past four matches between the Boks and All Blacks‚ every small advantage could be vital.
Having beaten Japan 41-7 in Kumagaya last Friday in hot and humid conditions‚ the Boks probably gained more than the All Blacks did by thrashing Tonga 92-7 in Hamilton.
In the extreme conditions the Boks were forced to slow the game and to employ a game plan based heavily on tactical kicking and field position. It was not always pretty but it was effective as the Boks scored six tries.
The All Blacks arrived in Japan on Monday but the Boks have been there for two weeks.
“The outcome of the All Blacks match will be very difficult to predict because the conditions it will be played in are very different to both SA and New Zealand‚” Erasmus told the local media at a mayoral welcome in Kagoshima.
“It’s generally very dry in SA and it rains a lot in New Zealand. But here it’s humid and hot and the ball is slippery‚ so whichever team adapts quickest to the conditions will have an advantage.”
Erasmus is known as a meticulous planner and nothing has been done by accident or on a whim. Kagoshima is a harsher environment‚ about 1,400km south of Tokyo‚ more than most places in Japan.
“After the decision was made to play Japan before the World Cup, myself and Charles Wessels [operations manager] decided to visit several potential sites and see which met our needs‚” Erasmus said.
“Kagoshima was the best. We were very happy with the city‚ the hotel and the facilities‚ which we believe will give us a good chance in the World Cup.
“The more extreme the training conditions are‚ the better it will be for the players’ bodies in match situations.
“It might make the Test matches feel easier because of the tough and extreme conditions the players have‚ and will be‚ going through in training.”
The Boks will have four sessions in the city this week before heading back north to Yokohama to make final preparations to face the All Blacks.
Typhoons are just one of the many challenges world champions New Zealand will have to contend with at the upcoming World Cup, head coach Steven Hansen said after his team’s arrival in Japan was disrupted by the aftermath of typhoon Faxai.
The storm struck shortly before dawn on Monday, killing one woman, damaging buildings and severely disrupting transport. More than 160 flights were cancelled, causing chaos at both of Tokyo’s major airports.
With the world’s top rugby teams arriving this week, New Zealand, England and Australia were all caught up in the posttyphoon disorder.
Australia had to delay their arrival by a whole day, while England were left stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport for five hours. New Zealand were more fortunate, managing to get to their hotel in Kashiwa, north of Tokyo, after a two-hour delay.
Coach Steve Hansen shrugged off any concerns about future storms disrupting the tournament, which takes place during Japan’s notorious typhoon season.
“They are all things we know about and we have planned for, so no more concerns,” said Hansen.
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