Beware of Lopez, Boks are warned
France flyhalf faces SA tourists for first time and he will be a handful – McFarland
CLERMONT flyhalf Camille Lopez has been singled out as the biggest threat facing the Springboks when they clash with France in Paris on Saturday night.
That’s according to former Bok assistant coach and current assistant to Heyneke Meyer at Stade Francais in Paris, John McFarland.
Four of that club’s players are likely to face the Boks this weekend, but it is Clermont’s Lopez who the Boks should be most cautious of this Saturday.
“He’s a left-footer, with a good pass and he likes taking the ball to the line,” said McFarland yesterday.
“Camille is in top form right now for Clermont and has played a big part in their success this season. He’s good at putting players into holes and will be a guy the Boks must keep an eye on.”
Lopez is back in the French team 18 months after suffering a horrific ankle injury and is set to earn his 17th cap this weekend. He has not faced the Boks before.
According to McFarland, his scrumhalf Baptiste Serin and backs Teddy Thomas and Gael Fickou are players the Boks have to show plenty of respect to.
“Serin has a quick passing game, while Teddy is a real finisher out wide. And Fickou at 13 is in the form of his life. He’s a big, strong man with good feet and powerful tackle, but he’s also a game-breaker. He’s as good as any centre I’ve worked with over the years.”
Among the forwards, McFarland said the locks (Yoann Maestri and Paul Gabrillagues) would prove a handful for the Boks, while No 8 Louis Picamoles would be the main ball carrier and someone the Boks would have to try to “take out of the game”.
While a big Test was in the offing, the former Bok assistant coach said Rassie Erasmus’s team would be much better off this week, having got a game behind them.
“They scrummed well (against England) last week, dominated most areas, while the defence was also solid. It was low-risk stuff.
“With more experience coming in this week, in the form of Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux, I suspect they’ll be better off. Francois Louw could also take up a position on the bench.”
McFarland said it would be interesting to see what Erasmus did with his back row.
“If Franco Mostert comes in at lock, it would mean Pieter-Steph du Toit moving to flank and either Duane Vermeulen or Warren Whiteley missing out; it’s a big call.”
After going down to England last weekend, McFarland felt it was a must-win game for Erasmus and his team this weekend.
“The Boks got unlucky last week, but in Test rugby you don’t always get the decisions you want. You’ve got to move on,” he said.
“The Boks need to win this week. For all the good this year, Erasmus’s team is still only at a 45 percent win rate, and he knows they need to win again, and more regularly.”
Erasmus will name his team this afternoon. ONE OF the bigger challenges facing the Springboks this weekend is the late kickoff time in Paris – that of 9.05pm French time.
Nowhere else in the world do the Boks kick off Test matches later than when they face the Tricolors.
It makes for a very long matchday, and recovery afterwards a lot more difficult, than when games kick off at between 4pm and 7pm in most other countries.
“It’s because of the French who eat late,” explains former Bok assistant coach and current assistant at Stade Francais in Paris, John McFarland.
“They want the fans to be out in the bars and restaurants when they kick off ... to watch the game there.”
McFarland added the Boks, who weren’t accustomed to playing at that time of the day, would have to “reset” their body clocks on Saturday.
“It’s a much longer day than normal ... and for those not used to it, the body is not attuned to being at its best at that time of the evening.
“The French are used to, with several of their Top 14 games kicking off at that time, so they have the advantage there. It’s a long day.”
According to McFarland, the Bok players will probably wake up at around eight or nine in the morning on Saturday, have breakfast at 10am and then go for a slow, short walk to get the body going. “They’re then likely to have a light meal, probably chicken or pasta, have a sleep in the afternoon and then start their match preparation about four hours before kickoff. They’ll do some stretching, have a team talk and get themselves ready for the game.”
McFarland said then it’s a case of navigating through the Paris traffic.
“Depending on where the team are staying, it can be quite a trip from hotel to the ground. I remember in 2013 it was a nightmare to get to the venue; there was just so much traffic.
“The Boks have got a good recent record in Paris though, so let’s hope for another good performance.”
Kick off SA time is 10.05pm.