Boks and England to pick up the pieces
South Africa and England clash while in different stages of reassembly over the next three Saturdays.
Many are hoping the series will allow solid World Cup foundations to be laid for next year.
South Africa have had to resort to drastic measures to address the Springboks’ slide, while England, following a dreamy honeymoon under Eddie Jones, have hit the rocks.
In some ways new Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ task is easier as he will start with a clean slate, but for Jones, who enjoyed 17 consecutive wins (18 for England) including and after the last World Cup, long-held beliefs and methods may have been challenged of late.
England haven’t just lost their last four games against Scotland, France, Ireland and the Barbarians, Jones has had his training routines questioned by irate club owners who demand to know why 15 players have been injured while in training on his watch.
While Jones by now should have clarity about the identity of his best 23, Erasmus, by contrast, is on a voyage of discovery.
The team he selected for the test against Wales was a fit-for-purpose assembly. Most of his heavy hitters stayed home but he has promised some of the men who went to DC they will have game time during the series.
He wants to familiarise himself with a wide player base this year, before settling on combinations leading up to the World Cup.
As much as there are long-term objectives, the Boks have to hit the deck running against opponents who last won a test series here in 2000.
Though Wales are ranked higher than England, it is the Boks’ series against Jones’s team that will provide a truer test of where South African rugby is at.
It may be difficult to size this match up, as it is likely to produce high scores. The Boks have reason to be sanguine, with their attacking strategies now in the hands of Swys de Bruin, the coach of the high scoring Lions. England, the Boks would have noticed, conceded more than 60 points against the Barbarians last week.
Moreover, their attack has also been blunt since last year’s series win in Argentina.
England currently average 2.7 tries per match against tier-one opposition and Jones wants that upped to three. At this stage though, Jones would just settle for a series win here, regardless of the aesthetics.
The new Red Rose attack coach Scott Wisemantel believes teams have wised up to England’s attacking ways and have nullified them of late. The Boks will be queuing up to do the same.