Bok, All Black fullbacks like chalk and cheese

SOUTH African and New Zealand fullbacks have often been like chalk and cheese, with the apt examples being Saturday’s potential starters in Andries Coetzee and Damian McKenzie.

If Ben Smith did not opt for a sabbatical in a year when head injuries have blighted his progress, McKenzie could have been on the periphery.

There was some stiff competition from the youngest Barrett (Jordie), while an unsung hero like David Havili played a crucial role in the Crusaders’ march to their first Super Rugby title in nine years.

It is not as if Coetzee does not have worthy competition to deal with.

There is the serious matter of Warrick Gelant whose performances in a weak Bulls outfit warranted Bok selection while the nifty Dillyn Leyds also stated a serious case with his showings at the Stormers.

While there is also conjecture in New Zealand as to where McKenzie is used best, his counterattacking strengths make him a decent, if not very good, fullback by New Zealand’s standards.

There is still the serious matter of him needing to adapt to the high ball demands of international rugby but, like most fullbacks, his attacking intent more than outweighs any frailties.

The premium is clearly on what is being offered going forward while a defensive collective ensures cracks are papered over.

Coetzee does not offer the kind of highvoltage rugby that comes with the McKenzie package but has been crucial to the Bok cause this year.

When their Super Rugby statistics are paired, McKenzie has the superior numbers due to the Chiefs’ naturally free-flowing style of rugby.

Being his team’s primary goal-kicker ahead of Aaron Cruden, McKenzie has collected 140 points and scored six tries to Coetzee’s three.

McKenzie (205) carried the ball more times than Coetzee (169) and made more linebreaks (20-11).

Crucially, Coetzee conceded fewer turnovers (17-27) and made more tackle breaks (18-15).

While McKenzie is an important asset for any team, it is clear Coetzee is judicious in terms of when he runs the ball and picks his moments carefully.

Having played at flyhalf at times this season, McKenzie made more tackles (60-36) but it is difficult to pinpoint where McKenzie missed the majority of his 13 tackles while Coetzee missed one less.

At the end of the day, Coetzee was a Super Rugby finalist for the second consecutive year while McKenzie had to watch from the sidelines after they were eliminated by eventual winners the Crusaders.

Due to the All Blacks’ attacking game, McKenzie has made a bigger impact at international level with more carries (32-23), linebreaks (4-2) and tackle breaks (5-2).

However, McKenzie has conceded more turnovers (5-2), indicating his vulnerability if he is isolated when tackled.

This weakness will be difficult for the Boks to expose, but if they can, they will have ticked off one box in the many they need to against the All Blacks.