Boks ready for Wallabies test
THE 2019 Rugby Championship kicks off at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday and, being a World Cup year, it is uncharacteristically wide open as the coaches mix and match ahead of the big one in Japan in September.
Usually, the All Blacks are runaway favourites, but in the last two World Cup years of the Rugby Championship, 2011 and 2015, the New Zealanders have faltered because they have used the competition to experiment, with Australia winning in those years.
Overall, the Kiwis have won this title 16 times in 23 attempts, with Australia way behind with four scalps, then the Springboks on three.
Argentina, who joined the Championship in 2012, have yet to win, but are definitely in with a shout this year given the red hot form of the Jaguares in Super Rugby.
The Springboks are also looking very good and coach Rassie Erasmus’ novel idea of fielding two teams of equal strength to play the Wallabies and All Blacks on successive weekends could pay off handsomely.
Erasmus, one of the game’s shrewdest planners, has had the Boks in camp for almost a month now, and his forwards coach, Matthew Proudfoot told the press on Monday that the players are ready for lift off.
“We’re extremely excited. June 23 was set in the calendar as the day we’d all get together; that was three weeks ago already. Everyone is bubbling, and looking forward to the season ahead,” Proudfoot said.
“It’s going to be a huge year for our country.
“It’s a massive challenge, with several steps we need to take along the way, starting with Australia this weekend.
“Every coach will tell you he needs more time, but I know we’ve planned extremely well and we’ve got a great plan in place over the next few weeks, until the World Cup.
“In the last three weeks, we’ve created alignment in the group, created ownership in the group, and I can see all the players have matured, too.”
Proudfoot said the Wallabies, under the guidance of Michael Cheika, had been smart and wise in deciding to train at altitude in Joburg for a full two weeks before taking on the Boks.
“The last three years’ matches between us and the Wallabies have been very tight, with a high ball-in-play component. In 2017, we drew twice against them and last year’s results were also close. They’re a very fit team and have done well to use their time in South Africa, at altitude, as a pre-season training camp.
“It’s been a wise move on their part. But, we’ve also been training up here for a few weeks now.”
While the Wallabies have been in camp for 10 days now, the Boks spent two weeks training in Pretoria and will wrap up their preparations for Saturday’s Test in Joburg this week, giving them three weeks at altitude.
Proudfoot added Cheika had picked a solid squad, built around a core of experienced Brumbies men, who fared well in Super Rugby earlier this year.
“He’s picked players who’ve shown form in Super Rugby, with a solid nucleus in the tight-five,” said Proudfoot.
“There’s a lot of experience there, so it doesn’t matter what kind of game they decide to play; there’s a core of players, which will make the tight-phases crucial and hugely important. It’s a myth the Aussies can’t scrum well and don’t have a quality pack. They’ve got a very good pack.”