All Blacks may miss Kaino, Coetzee feels
Bok coach downplays talk of New Zealand weakness
All Black number eight and captain Kieran Read‚ openside flanker Sam Cane and whoever partners them in the back row pose a clear and present danger to the Springboks.
The Bok back row may not possess the kind of class and experience of those loose-forwards but they have enough in their armoury to examine Cane’s and Read’s credentials.
Springbok coach Allister Coetzee is aware of the impact Cane and Read have on their teammates but has a feeling New Zealand are starting to miss experienced blindside flanker Jerome Kaino.
The 34-year-old hasn’t featured for the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship in the wake of an extra-marital affair that surfaced on the eve of the August 19 Bledisloe Cup test against Australia in Sydney.
Liam Squire and Vaea Fifita have ably deputised for the 2011 Rugby World Cup player of the tournament and it is likely that Squire will start against the Springboks in Albany on Saturday.
Coetzee said the All Blacks have always had world-class loose-forwards and that wasn’t something that was going to change overnight.
“I’m not too sure what’s happening in the All Black camp but Kieran Read is a standout performer and a fantastic lineout exponent.
“He wins the ball and wins it back from the kickoff and he’s a good ball carrier.
“He’s instrumental in everything they do‚” Coetzee said.
“We’ve prepared for a tough test.”
There’s also the significant matter of New Zealand’s electric back three and whether there is a chink in the armour of Chiefs dynamo Damian McKenzie.
McKenzie’s introduction to test rugby hasn’t been the smoothest defensively and, uncharacteristically for an All Black back‚ he seems to struggle under the high ball.
Coetzee isn’t fooled by this slight weakness and said the All Black back three work for each other.
“You can’t just prepare for certain players.
“You have to have an allround game and be on top of your game when you play the All Blacks.” –