Ghost of Durban haunts Boks
SA keen to set their home record straight against Argentina in Nelspruit today
THE Springboks will go into this afternoon’s Rugby Championship encounter against Argentina in Nelspruit with the hope that the ghost of last year remains dead and buried and that they can continue on the winning path under Allister Coetzee.
It was in the same competition that the Boks sank to one of their darkest hours, losing to Argentina for the first time at home and finishing last in the four-nation tournament.
Although the Boks redeemed themselves with two consecutive victories against the South Americans thereafter, they need to exorcise the demons of Durban at the Mbombela Stadium today.
There is undoubtedly still a bitter taste in the mouths of the Boks who were part of that historic Test in Durban last year and they have spoken of the hurt and pain of that loss.
Under Coetzee the Boks are trying to embark on a new path, one that will ultimately be judged on the outcome of the Rugby Championship.
As shaky a start as Coetzee endured during the June home series against Ireland, there were glimpses of how devastating the Boks could be in their valiant fightback to win the series after losing the first Test.
Bok captain Adriaan Strauss wants his team to build on that series victory but says the disaster of Durban must serve as a reminder of how dangerous their opponents today can be.
At the same time there is a lingering reminder of the Boks’ not-so-glittering history at Mbombela Stadium, where they have struggled to shake off what should have been easy opposition in Scotland and Wales in recent years.
“The coach mentioned this week that the results of the past won’t actually help or affect us this week. Last year’s game against Argentina and games in the past here against Wales and Scotland mean nothing,” said Strauss yesterday.
“We know they are going to play with a lot of confidence because of that, and we will take that into consideration, but if you go on to the field in a Test match, you always give it your all and you are always fully prepared. We know well what lies ahead. We know it will be a very physical game and it always is against Argentina and we expect exactly the same.”
Beyond being wary of the ghosts of the past returning to haunt the Boks, it is paramount that today they lay down a marker for the rest of the competition in the manner in which they go about dictating terms against Argentina.
The much-hyped running game that seems to be the flavour of the season among coaches and players will have to be rolled out – and not in glimpses but in truck loads – if their journey in the competition is to stand a realistic chance of producing silverware at the end.
It will start up front, where the men in the blue and white hoops will provide a stern test, from their renowned bajada scrum to their fearless and unrelenting contesting in the lineouts and breakdowns.
Argentina have the personnel to be confrontational with the Boks, and they could easily get under their skin, but it will come down to key decision-making in all facets of the game that will swing it in favour of the home side, according to Strauss.
The Boks were guilty of making poor decisions in the series against the Irish, which resulted in them playing into the hands of the opposition.
While Strauss will have the usual pressures of making the right decisions for the team, many of the decisions made by the halfback pairing of Faf de Klerk and Elton Jantjies, along with new fullback Johan Goosen, will have a major influence on the result.
“We’re moving towards a way of playing that we make the right decisions on the field,” said Strauss.
“It’s starting to sound like a cliché… but it’s also a situation you grow into – to make the right decisions at the right time.
“If you’re in your own 22, and it’s on, then first of all you need to see that. Then you need to have confidence and back yourself and make that call to run from there. But if it’s not on, then you need to make good conservative decisions when you have to.”