THE HARDEST RUGBY
The All Blacks and Springboks are set to reprise their time-honoured rivalry this month, and Ian Jones, for one, cannot wait to see how it plays out.
The Springboks are one of the themes this month – ahead of the 100th Test match with the All blacks – and I always maintain it is the hardest, most physical rugby I played.
I was lucky enough to play them 12 times. I first became aware of the rivalry back in 1976, when I was nine. The All blacks had a couple of northlanders – Sid going and Joe Morgan – in the side then, and Joe scored that brilliant try in bloemfontein. That’s when my respect for the Springboks started and then grew.
My first chance to go to South Africa was in 1992, in a schedule that was tagged onto the Australian tour. what an eye-opener that was, one of the real highlights of my whole career. There was a huge reception for us when we touched down late at night in Johannesburg.
It was our first time playing at altitude and that played on us a bit for the first few occasions. We had heard the stories from Laurie Mains of how hostile it would be on the field for us and the need to have a mindset to match the boks. we faced some of their greats like naas botha, Danie gerber and uli Schmidt. That really reinforced my love and respect for rugby against that country.
you had to physically stand up to and at least match them. It was different to playing the Australians or the english or the welsh. Mentally, you had to be on your game all week to prepare yourself. you couldn’t have a bad patch. If you started to slacken off against those guys, that’s when they pounced. They are very good rugby players, but they are also physically big men. The stadia were amazing, the crowds were incredible. They just wanted to physically dominate you. If you allowed that and the other factors to take over, you were done for.
They would often say that the Springboks rose to play the All blacks, but hell, we rose to play them too.
It was bittersweet in the 1995 rugby world Cup final. I was happy with my match but like the rest of the team was lacking that extra fizz needed to compete on such an occasion. They kept the foot on the throat and didn’t give us one moment of opportunity. but that disappointment set us up for the following year.
To win that series in 1996 was another absolute highlight. we had to play them four Tests in a row. I recall that first Test in Cape Town, which was part of the Tri nations. That was key in setting up the Test series. I was rooming with Dowdy (Craig Dowd) and he was under the pump for his position and had a blinder as the tight five stood tall and we physically dominated their great skipper Francois Pienaar. That performance was a big statement by us. we then won in Durban and that was vital for us, a big second half comeback, and that gave us a chance to win in Pretoria as we didn’t want the series to still be alive by the third Test at ellis Park. John Hart convincing
‘They would often say that the Springboks rose to play the All Blacks, but hell, we rose to play them too.’
the new Zealand union to take 36 players on that tour was important. we wrapped it up at Loftus but didn’t have the energy for the final Test at Ellis Park.
we learned that you had to be relentless over 80 minutes to subdue the boks but also play to our strengths, which for us was speed of ruck ball. That was the basic approach. I just loved playing over there, the way they embraced us and thought about the game.
This rivalry is unmatched, and very different to our rivalry with, say, Australia or France. This is a rivalry based on mutual respect and love of the game. It is a real Test match, and Test matches are not just the physical battle you see in the 80 minutes.
Mark Andrews would be the toughest Springbok I faced. He was a physical specimen, a great athlete,
and like a dog with a bone who would keep coming at you. The late ruben Kruger was tough as old boots in the loose forwards.
I’m not physically a big man but I had big men around me to help with these sorts of opponents. you could not show fear or be weak in any department or even let them think they were dominating in any department or else you were toast. even today, watching them beat the Lions in a gnarly old series last month, they have a winning formula and that is key. Their approach hasn’t changed since 1992: physical men trying to tie up the ruck and dominate in the set-pieces, pushing hard for territory and presenting a solid, committed defensive line. Their game plan will be no secret against us in these two Tests and never has been. but you cannot drop your guard and that is easier said than done. That makes these clashes even more intriguing. They know our game, we know their game, and may the best team win.