Meyer’s Boks out to show their mettle

Team looking for first away win in Test matches since 2009

THE next cycle in the evolution of coach Heyneke Meyer’s Springbok team starts in Mendoza against Argentina tomorrow, as SAattempts to win its first away game in the competition since 2009.

It is scarcely believable that the Boks have not won an away TriNations or Rugby Championship match since beating the All Blacks 32-29 in Hamilton four years ago, but it is a fact.

And it is up to this settled crop of young players to enter the hostile environment of the Estadio Malvinas, where the Boks were held 16-16 last year, and make a strong statement about their title credentials.

Winning the Rugby Championship requires away victories — something the All Blacks have already achieved with their full fivepoint haul over the Wallabies in Sydney last week.

That result has put added pressure on the Boks, who still have to travel to Brisbane and Auckland.

All week Meyer has spoken of the Boks playing — and winning — six finals to win the Rugby Championship, despite a tough schedule that sees the Boks as the only team with three consecutive away games in the competition.

Meyer has been able to choose an unchanged starting XV in consecutive weeks for only the third time in his 16-match tenure so far, and that has added to the Springboks’ air of confidence this week.

After winning their tournament opener 73-13 at Soccer City last Saturday, they are entitled to feel confident about their prospects of toppling a Pumas team in disarray.

There has been much speculation in the Argentine media about turmoil in the Pumas camp with infighting and unhappiness the general refrain emanating from their base. The Springboks want to hear none of it.

“We’ll focus on what we can control and to be honest, we don’t care what’s going on in their camp,” captain Jean de Villiers said.

Last week, the Boks scored nine tries, to take their season’s tally to 25 in only four Tests, thanks to a dominant pack and backline that has penetration and pace.

While the home team will come out firing and play with passion and emotion from the outset, they lack belief that they can beat the Boks after such a chastening experience in Soweto last week.

The Springbok rolling maul was spectacularly successful, and will again be employed as their primary attacking weapon. The Bok lineout work was exemplary last week, winning all 15 of their own throws and scoring four tries as a direct result of the maul.

It is unlikely that the Pumas will have worked out a way to stop it in three training sessions this week.

“Argentina will be pumped up and very emotional, but as we know, you can’t only play on emotion,” Meyer said. “You have to be clinical and focused on being accurate.

“We know it will be a different and more difficult challenge this weekend, but we know what worked for us last week and we need to keep building on that,” he said.

“We were very happy with our scrums, lineouts and kick-offs, and if we build on that foundation we have a good chance.”

The Boks have more than a good chance. They simply should win this match. It will not be by the same margin they won by last week, and they might not even secure a bonus point, but they have too much power and pace to come away with anything other than victory.

Wing Bryan Habana has been inspired by the youth in the Springbok team, and has found a new lease on life by being exposed to the positive energy new players provide.

Habana, who will play his 88th Test and a record 86th as wing when the Springboks meet Argentina in Mendoza tomorrow, has rediscovered his try-scoring form under coach Meyer.

“It’s a great place to be at the moment,” Habana said. “As a senior player, you do have responsibilities, you try to lead the way. But then you have these youngsters bringing a fresh energy to the team.

“They’re not content to play a bit part, they’re taking responsibility too,” Habana said.

“They have made the set-up and environment a pleasing one to be in. We have a team culture of making this a family, and us senior players are feeding off the new energy.

“The next challenge for the youngsters in the team is (to) experience the passion of the local fans when playing against Argentina in Mendoza. It’s something they’re all looking forward to,” said Habana.