Boks hope to climb Everest
Coetzee’s tourists suffer another blow as Cronje pulls out.
The Springboks view the massive All Black challenge today in the Rugby Championship in Albany as a Mount Everest on its own, but not an unrealistic goal.
Bok coach Allister Coetzee has identified New Zealand as possibly “vulnerable”, while his counterpart Steve Hansen has admitted he felt “uncomfortable” about his side’s inconsistent performances this year.
But in a further setback yesterday, the Boks lost one of their key decision-makers when scrumhalf Ross Cronje had to pull out with a stomach bug and be replaced by the inconsistent Francois Hougaard with Rudy Paige coming on to the bench.
It’s the third player the Boks have lost inside a week after prop Coenie Oosthuizen (broken arm) and flank Jaco Kriel (shoulder) were forced to return home.
However, to beat New Zealand on home soil will require a massive team effort and alarmingly for the Boks they have beaten the old enemy just twice in 15 Tests since their last Tri-Nations win in 2009.
“We are fully aware of how big the challenge is. But we don’t want to be only competitive, we actually want to put ourselves in a position to win it,” said Coetzee.
What the British and Irish Lions managed so well was to limit the game-breaking All Black flyhalf Beauden Barrett’s space to such an extent that the so-called livestream of the New Zealand attack was cut short.
But the other side of the coin also comes into the play with Bok flyhalf Elton Jantjies expected to be the centre of attention from the likes of All Black skipper Kieran Read, and opensider Sam Cane, probably the best in world rugby.
Jantjies didn’t exude a lot of confidence last week against the Wallabies and his indecision on attack will have to improve while he has lost a bit of his unpredictability which used to make him such a dangerous threat.
Bok captain Eben Etzebeth said there’s no denying what a big thing a Bok-All Black challenge still is in the world of rugby.
“Our matches are always mas-
sive, we know they’re our biggest competition and hopefully they feel the same about us,” said Etzebeth.
“Despite our results so far this season, we know we will have to step up our game.”
Kick-off: 9.35am.
When the Springboks announced that Jaco Kriel is – to all intents and purposes – out for the rest of the Rugby Championship with a shoulder injury, you could immediately hear opinion being divided.
The Lions star is undoubtedly a popular player among South African fans in general. He’s skilful, dynamic and hard-working.
Many will say he’s a big loss to the Springboks but there’s also a fair amount of observers who’ll express sympathy without getting stressed.
South African rugby still loves a proverbial “Hulk” of a player, the bulldozer who generally swats an opponent aside.
Jean-Luc du Preez, the man who replaces Kriel against the All Blacks today, is that guy. He’s a 1.94m, 112kg monster of a man. And he’s a brilliant replacement.
The 22-year-old will arguably bring more of a balance to the Springbok loose trio because he’s an out-and-out blindside flanker.
He’s going to win collisions against the All Blacks defenders and he’s going to tackle well.
Du Preez’s elevation is not the issue here. The problem is the risk that we don’t realise the magnitude of the Springboks losing Kriel.
We know it’s big, but it’s actually huge. Kriel is 1.84m tall and weighs 100kg. The two frontline centres – Jan Serfontein and Jesse Kriel – are even taller than him.
Springboks coach Allister Coetzee has picked him as a blindside flanker, a position normally reserved for giants like Du Preez.
It’s also one where a player can’t play with as much freedom as he’s afforded at the Lions, especially at international level.
In other words, Kriel has been selected in a position he’s theoretically not suited for. What his stats suggest though is a man who’s rubbished conventional wisdom. Kriel has made the most tackles in the Rugby Championship to date – 39.
However, one needs to realise that tackles can’t be measured equally. Four of Kriel’s tackles have been dominant, meaning ball-carriers were overwhelmed by his “hit” when they carried the ball.
That’s the third most in the tournament.
Kriel, despite playing when defences are far more tighter, has broken the same amount of tackles as Du Preez. He’s won three turnovers – the most in the tournament – and even won a lineout.
In this instance, the stats don’t quite lie: Kriel has played like a seasoned blindsider. And he’s going to be missed … hugely.