Spotlight shines on rival forward packs
Australia are determined to bounce back from humiliating defeat against New Zealand when they host South Africa today
>> PERTH: The Wallabies will rely on their maligned forwards to provide a platform if they are to reverse a threematch losing run against South Africa in their Rugby Championship Test in Perth today.
The Australian pack was outplayed by the world champions All Blacks in a 51-20 mauling in Auckland a fortnight ago and coach Ewen McKenzie has largely stuck with the same combination against the powerful Springboks.
The forecast is for wet and windy conditions in today’s game, giving the South Africans the edge in their traditional dominance of the set piece.
The Wallabies were smashed 38-12, four tries to nil, by the Springboks in their 2013 Rugby Championship Test in Australia and the home side is looking to win back the Mandela Challenge Plate, which they lost to South Africa last year after holding it for three seasons.
“They’ve got two things that we want,” Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper said yesterday. “They’re No.2 in the world and they’ve got the Mandela Plate.”
The Springboks have beefed up their pack for an expected physical battle with the Wallabies eight by the inclusion of Marcell Coetzee, lineout general Victor Matfield, Adriaan Strauss and Tendai Mtawarira.
“Maybe they might still feel the psychological pressure of what happened in the past,” Springboks skipper Jean de Villiers said.
“But we’re not banking on them holding the scars of last year. They’ve come a long way.
“We see it as a brand new challenge and a brand new game.”
Hooper also believes the Wallabies are a different proposition than the team tossed aside by the Springboks in Brisbane 12 months ago.
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“It was a long time ago, teams have changed and we’ve got a completely different squad,” he said.
McKenzie has prepared for a brutal battle up front and will go into the Test with a forward-heavy 6-2 reserves bench split and among them he has recalled former Wallabies skipper James Horwill to help with the lineouts.
Hooker James Hanson will make his first Test start, with Springboks great Matfield sure to give him a tough night on his throws into the lineout.
De Villiers said the Springboks were looking to bank on their traditional strengths to win for the fourth consecutive time against the Wallabies.
“We are trying to evolve as a team. We are always going to rely what made us a good team, what Springbok rugby is all about,” he said. “That will always be there for us and that’s not negotiable.
“If we can add to that and try evolving around that then we can only become a better team and I think we have done that in a way.
“We need to stay strong in the areas that we have generally been strong at for a century or so, tomorrow may be occasion when we need that where the forwards will have to be at their best. The Wallabies have improved in that regard.”
Perth has been a happy hunting ground for the Springboks and they have won three and drawn one of their seven Tests in Western Australia.
“They have a lot to play for and they have their goals, and we have our goals set as well,” de Villiers said.
“We would like to get to the number one and strive to be the best in the world.
“It’s much easier said than done. We do know that the Wallabies will be a massive threat for us.”