Mallett plans to ambush the Boks
Former national coach has inside track on Springbok tactics and aims to inspire his side a win
THE Springboks could be walking into a potential ambush when they take on a World XV coached by former Bok mentor Nick Mallett at Newlands next weekend.
Statistically, Mallett is still the Springboks’ most successful coach in the professional era with a win ratio of 76%, which includes a record 16-match winning streak (17 in total after Carel du Plessis’s last match ended in victory) and the 1998 Tri-Nations title.
He also understands the Springboks’ mindset intimately and is the kind of inspirational leader who can lift a team for a one-off match.
Mallett inspired the Barbarians to victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham in 2009, an experience he will draw on this week.
But Mallett is playing down the World XV’s chances due to lack of preparation time. Yet he has selected cannily, picking players he knows will bring skills, but most importantly the right attitude to test the Springboks in their first outing for seven months.
The French and English domestic finals, featuring Toulon, Clermont, Saracens and Northampton, will hamper Mal-
There will be a focus on proper exit strategies and a decent kicking game
lett’s preparation at the weekend, as nine of his 23 players are involved in those two finals.
“It’s not really coaching so much as taking control and trying to put some decent structures into place in a short space of time,” Mallett said.
“It’s very difficult because the side will only assemble in full on Wednesday. If Toulon wins the Top 14 in France those players are required to do a ticker-tape parade and mayoral function in Toulon on Monday night.
“The rest will arrive by Tuesday, but that doesn’t really leave much time for on-field training sessions.”
As a consequence, Mallett will attempt to keep the tactics basic and rely on the competitiveness of his players to ensure they honour their capabilities.
“You’ve obviously got to try to organise some lineout calls and some decent attacking structure,” Mallett said. “There will be a focus on proper exit strategies and a decent kicking game.
“Fortunately, all the guys in the group are good players and this match won’t be won or lost — certainly from a World XV’s perspective — by structure.
“We will need the right attitude towards the game because in many ways this is a throwback to the amateur era in terms of preparation, so the right attitude will count.
“There is not much we can do tactically in two field sessions to upset the Boks. But what the World XV players can offer is the willingness to be physical and to be courageous on defence, because the Boks are direct and will put you under pressure with sheer physicality.
“In terms of strategy, you know what you’re going to get from the Boks, but even so it’s very hard to counter because they are adept at it.
“Essentially, it boils down to a physical challenge that my players will have to be up for.
“If they arrive thinking that this is going to be three days of fun, a few meals out and a run around on Saturday, they’re going to be in for a big surprise.
“I’m competitive and I will put that across to them, but they are also proud professional sportsmen who don’t want to let themselves or the crowd down.”
Mallett will be hoping that he can extract some extra effort from the six South Africans in the group.
“Guys I have called up are players who haven’t been called up by their national teams,” Mallett said. “The South Africans in the team will all want to show Heyneke what they can do, and that includes Rory Kockott, Alistair Hargreaves and Juandre Kruger.
“I really wanted Heinrich Brüssow, but Heyneke called him into a training squad and I’m not sure if he’ll be in the final Bok squad for June. Brüssow would’ve been a great selection.
“I expect most of the South Africans to play with an extra edge,” Mallett said.