We’ve been having power cuts, but woe betide our utility firms have one this Sunday!
SO what do we know about the Springboks, the team lying in wait for Wales in the World Cup semi-finals?
Well, one man who knows them better than most is leading South African rugby journalist, BRENDAN NEL.
We caught up with him in Pretoria to hear about the ‘Boks strengths and weaknesses and what the public over there are expecting from Sunday’s last-four clash in Yokohama...
Q: What’s the mood in South Africa about the way the Springboks have performed in this tournament so far?
A: The South African public are probably never really satisfied! You always want more from your team.
But the ‘Boks were pretty brutal in that second-half against Japan and people are pretty happy with the way the pack is playing.
We probably want to see a bit more variety in our game and the back-line functioning a bit better.
There’s a feeling that when they had Swys de Bruin as part of their coaching team in the Rugby Championship they were playing a lot more expansively, but since he has gone they have reverted to type.
I think it’s got a lot to do also with the conditions in Japan, knock-out rugby and the pressure pay they want to play.
But, at the moment, the ‘Boks do seem to be kicking away a lot of ball.
There’s a lot of talk around Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux kicking away ball and rather frustrating fans.
Generally people are happy that they are in the semi-finals. There’s enough belief around here that the ‘Boks could challenge whoever is in the final and probably win it as well.
But there’s just maybe a bit of frustration about the way they are playing at the moment.
Q: Are most South African people expecting a Springboks win over Wales this weekend?
A: I think probably yes.
I wouldn’t say they are overly optimistic, but rather realistic knowing the way our pack is playing at the moment. If they get on top, there’s a very good chance of winning.
People acknowledge that Wales have had the better of us over the last few years. But there’s an argument that end-of-season tours don’t always give the best reflection, while the game in Washington last year was a second-string side.
So it’s an intriguing battle with two almost full-strength sides on a neutral ground.
I think the ‘Boks are quite looking forward to this one!
Q: How will people be watching the game in South Africa on Sunday?
A: It’s an 11am kick-off here, so people will be putting on the braais before and after the game. Most of the country will be doing that.
We have got another little challenge over here though. We have been having electricity problems.
We have got this thing called load-shedding, where there’s not enough capacity, so they switch off the electricity in certain parts for two hour blocks to try and save it.
There has been a lot of debate around here over whether that’s going to happen in the rugby.
Funnily enough, it happened for two or three days before the last game, but then the cuts were miraculously suspended for the two days of the quarter-finals!
Our utility companies know if they had power cuts during the game, they would have a very angry nation on their backs.
Q: Which players have really stood out for South Africa in this World Cup in your view?
A: I think anybody in that pack!
Bongi Mbonambi has made the No 2 position his own. I have been very impressed with him.
You can’t stop talking about Pieter-Steph du Toit, he is just everywhere.
There’s Duane Vermeulen at No 8, while the locks have just been exceptional in the set-pieces.
Then on the outside, you had Cheslin Kolbe in the early parts of the tournament.
He didn’t really get much ball in the last couple of games. But him and Makazole Mapimpi are both great finishers on the wing.
The guy who impressed me in the quarter-final against Japan was Damian de Allende, who seems to be coming into his own and was such a big force in the ‘Bok attack.
Q: People up here obviously know Rassie Erasmus from his time with Munster. Is he a popular coach with the South African public?
A: Definitely. When he took over, South Africa were down at No 7 in the world rankings. We had lost to Italy on an end-of-year tour. The ‘Boks had lost more than half their games in a single season.
They really were on a low. Rassie has brought positivity and is also a bit of a character when it comes to the game.
When he was coaching here in the Currie Cup, he used to send signals in a rather bizarre way.
He used to go on top of the roof of the stadium and have what we called disco lights. He had various coloured lights up there.
His explanation was that was the easiest way of getting signals down to players. They would look up to the stand and see certain coloured lights and know what sort of game-plan to play.
He’s an innovator with things like that and he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve.
I know the ‘Boks have been rather conservative in this tournament, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rassie comes up with a trick or two for the last two games.
Q: There’s an expectation here that the Springboks will come with a brutally physical, forwardorientated game-plan against Wales? Is that what you are expecting or might we see something else?
A: I think they are probably going to need something else.
At this stage of the tournament, that’s not going to work.
Wales have got a very good pack and Warren Gatland is a very astute coach. He will have worked out a couple of plans.
I think what happened against Japan is the ‘Boks tried to play a bit more expansively in the first-half and it wasn’t working. The emotion of the crowd kept Japan in the game up to half-time.
There was a decision at the break to go back to basics, use the forwards and just get the win.
I think they will do what is necessary again this weekend.
There will be an expectation from the public to try and play a little bit more expansively. So I think they will try a few things and see if it works. Otherwise, they will go back to their forwards again.
That pack is pretty brutal. That 50 metre maul that we saw on the weekend; I can expect them trying a couple of those on Sunday.
When you’ve got guys like Eben Eztebeth, Lood de Jager and Duane Vermeulen, it’s hard not to use your strengths.
Q: You have seen a lot of South African players over the years. In terms of natural ability and attacking threat, where does Cheslin Kolbe rank?
A: I was lucky enough to do a lot of work with him in the Sevens and the U21s before he had his breakthrough to the Springboks.
He has always had to fight this thing of the small player, much like Shane Williams did in Wales for a lot of his career.
In the era of modern wingers who are bigger and bulkier, he is a guy who has got a supreme ability in terms of his feet.
The thing he has added since he joined Toulouse is his physicality. He’s
suddenly become a player who can bounce off other players, that can stand up in the tackle and who doesn’t shy away in defence.
That was something he was probably lacking in during the earlier part of his career and that’s what made him so fascinating to watch now.
He has definitely got the feet and you don’t even have to give him space. He will find a way to make a couple of metres no matter where he is on the field. And, as I say, he’s not a soft touch on defence. He has got a lot more physicality about him, which I really like.
Q: Then you’ve got Faf de Klerk, who we know a lot about over here from his time at Sale. How is he viewed in South Africa?
A: At the moment, it’s a bit of a mixed bag with him.
The Boks are kicking a lot of ball away at the moment.
There’s a bit of banter going around about it.
We are going through a bit of a heatwave in Pretoria and there’s a joke going around where someone said it was so hot they were about to pass out, but Faf de Klerk taught them you never pass!
So there is a bit of frustration with Faf kicking a lot of ball away.
He’s one of those 50-50 players, very much like Willie le Roux.
He has got a bag of tricks and he is going to try them out. When they work, it’s brilliant. When they don’t, people will be frustrated.
I still think he’s a great scrum-half though.
Q: Who would South Africa see as the main Welsh threats in Yokohama this weekend?
A: I wouldn’t say anyone in particular in the team.
We know Wales have got an extremely well organised team and that their defensive system has probably been their biggest asset over the last couple of seasons.
The challenge for the ‘Boks is breaking down that defence.
You have got a great kicker in Dan Biggar and one thing Wales don’t shy away from is taking points. They build an innings in the old way of playing whereas a lot of teams now seem to go for the corners.
Wales have got a good pack. I think they have lost a bit with Josh Navidi gone. He was having a great tournament and was one of the stand-out guys for me.
They have got some good speed on the outside as well.
They are a good all round team.
Q: So what’s your prediction for Sunday?
A: I am obviously going to expect the ‘Boks being a South African and I believe they can win. But I think it’s going to be an extremely close game, a pressure game.
Like in 2015, when we had that back-flip for Fourie du Preez to score that crucial try in the quarter-final at Twickenham, I think it’s going to take a moment like that.
Rassie said earlier this week that they had five soft minutes against the All Blacks in the opening match and that cost them the game.
The team that’s going to have the soft moments on Sunday is probably the team that’s going to lose.
I am hoping it’s not the ‘Boks.
I think it’s going to be very close. I see one score between the teams.