Van Graan has plenty to worry about in Albany
THE fact that the Springboks have not won in New Zealand since 2009 is the least of Johann van Graan’s worries.
The assistant coach has experienced the heartbreak of your best not being good enough to topple a legendary All Black side.
Van Graan was with the 2013 side that went toe to toe with the All Blacks for the full 80 minutes at Eden Park before Romain Poite’s contentious officiating saw the Boks down to 14 men, handing the All Blacks an advantage they did not relinquish.
The Boks were also on the wrong side of a narrow 14-10 reverse at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium, as a coming-ofage performance by Handre Pollard and Cornal Hendricks’s try were not enough to rescue Heyneke Meyer’s side.
Last year’s visit to Christchurch that resulted in the 41-13 clobbering is best left to the annals of history.
Van Graan is aware of the lessons the Boks have to take in for Saturday’s Rugby Championship test against the All Blacks at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany, but the past will not bring them a win in the present.
“We learn from every single test match, but 2017 was about a new start for us,” he said.
“We’re not really focused on the past and we want to improve test by test, and this will be our first measure against the New Zealand side in New Zealand.”
The Boks’ developing juggernaut was halted by the Wallabies, even though they came away with the 23-all draw at Perth’s nib Stadium.
Having seen off the French and Argentines in five consecutive tests, the Boks needed the Australian performance to serve as a wake-up call.
Van Graan said one of the key components of the 2017 class was their ability to absorb mistakes and apply them immediately.
“We’ve got a younger squad than in previous years and we’ve got different dynamics within our team. We’ve got a lot of diversity and we embrace every challenge.”
Meanwhile, loose-forward Jaco Kriel has been ruled out of Saturday’s test as a result of the shoulder injury he sustained in Perth last week.
Springbok coach Allister Coetzee will have to make two definite changes to the starting 15, with Coenie Oosthuizen out for six weeks with a broken arm.