BOK IN BUSINESS
South Africa out to recreate World Cup magic against Lions as tour hype ramps up
THERE was little surprise among the Irish press pack recently when an email from the IRFU dropped into inboxes confirming that the proposed summer tour of Fiji had been cancelled. There was plenty of trepidation, however. ‘Please God, spare us a Summer Nations Cup,’ sighed one colleague when the news about the aborted mission to the Pacific Islands filtered through.
He had a point. The Autumn Nations Cup was one of the many fixers implemented throughout this most difficult and unprecedented of seasons.
Pre-pandemic, the southern heavyweights – including the world champion Springboks – were set to pay their annual visits to this part of the world.
When it became clear that international travel was going to be off the table, the unions moved quickly to fill the vacuum of fixtures across the autumn.
There followed the aforementioned tournament. Basically a second Six Nations across October and November. And the Autumn Nations Cup was a hard slog.
Save for the final, when a secondstring France frightened the life out of England in an extra-time thriller of a final, it wasn’t easy on the eye. Has there been a worse game of rugby in the professional era than Wales v Scotland at Parc Y Scarlets back in October?
The second half of Ireland’s turgid win against the Georgians – a late addition to the party – would push it close. You’d wonder what Amazon made of the whole thing.
They paid big money, too, for the live rights on their platform. After what got served up over those six weeks, you’d imagine that Jeff Bezos and his execs won’t be whipping out the chequebook for their next rugby investment.
South Africa would have looked on with envy though. Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber are crying out for a match. Even a training camp would suffice at this stage. It’s been 554 days since the
Boks were last together. Their last competitive outing was the World Cup triumph over England in Toyko.
Early next month, Nienaber, who has now moved into the role as head coach, is set to name a training squad of approximately 46 players ahead of the eagerly anticipated series against the Lions.
The Springbok frontliners are currently scattered across the globe. Just look at the backline which started the 2019 final: Faf de Klerk is at Sale Sharks. Handre
Pollard plies his trade with Montpellier. Damian de Allende is making a big impression with Munster. Cheslin Kolbe is one of Toulouse’s shining lights while Willie le Roux and Makazole Mapimpi are playing for clubs in Japan. Only Lukhanyo Am, their talented outside centre, is on the payroll back in South Africa with the Sharks.
Getting the band back together will be a challenge, but it shouldn’t take long to get this group back up to speed. The bonds forged in
Japan were strong. Warren Gatland will hope to catch the hosts on the hop in the first Test in Johannesburg on July 24. It’s probably their best chance of making this series contestable really.
Suffice to say, the squad announced by Gatland earlier this week has not exactly instilled fear in South Africa. Speaking to people on the ground in that part of the world, there was widespread shock that the likes of Johnny Sexton, James Ryan and Sam Undershill were left at home. Mark Keohane,
a prominent South African rugby writer, didn’t mince his words when he spoke to the War Room podcast earlier this week.
‘In 2017 when they announced that Lions squad to go to New Zealand, I thought, “my God, this is going to be the series of the century” but not this time. The Springboks to whip these guys three to zip.
‘I think we’re going to dominate them like the ’74 Lions dominated the Springboks. This is payback for 1974. It still hurts!’
Indeed. All the hyperbole aside, the Springboks have every right to feel confident. They will have a settled side for this series.
Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawrira, who terrorised the Lions scrum in the 2009 series, has since retired but Steven Kitshoff is set for a promotion from the Bomb Squad as South Africa’s starting looshead. Pieter-Steph du Toit – the reigning world player of the year – made his return from a 398-day injury nightmare last weekend for the Stormers and looked in ominous form. Siya Kolisi and Duane Vermuelen should complete a powerful backrow unit. Marcell Coetzee, who has recently returned home to Pretoria after a stellar stint at Ulster, should also be fit for the series. There is growing confidence in South Africa that Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager and Munster’s RG
Snyman – their trio of snarling locks – will all be ready as well. It’s quite the cast of mean, uncompromising customers.
Crucially, they will have Erasmus and Nienaber – the former Munster brains trust which spearheaded the charge to World Cup glory, running the show again. Nienaber has since moved to the front of house, with Erasmus seemingly moving back into his general overseer role as director of rugby.
We mightn’t see a lot of Erasmus in front of the press but any notion that he won’t be close to the action on the training pitch is quickly dispelled by Hendrik Cronje, rugby writer for South African newspaper Rapport. ‘Nothing has changed, except for different job titles. That’s it,’ he explained.
‘I think Jacques will be more in the media and Rassie will spend 10 per cent more of his time with some of the other teams like the Sevens, Womens, U20s and the schools teams. That’s a big part of his job as director of rugby and he’s still involved there but, look, the Boks is still the main thing for Rassie and he will still make the final calls with the Boks.
‘He will still have the final say with team selection, game plans etc. I don’t know what they will say in the media. They might deny or confirm it, but that’s the truth.’
One thing is certain, there is no shortage of excitement about the looming tour.
‘People just want to see them in action again,’ Cronje adds.
‘If it must be the first Test against the Lions, that will be special. There is huge excitement for it.’
It’s been a long time coming, but the Boks are back in business.