Ex Supersport
There was much negativity about the Springbok failure to grab the four try bonus in their win over Argentina at a sodden Loftus last week, but amidst all the gloom an important point was missed – the draw in Sydney earlier in the day did mean it is still advantage South Africa.
There is an understandable assumption that both the Wallabies and All Blacks will pick up four try bonus points in their home matches against the Pumas – not that either of them have managed it every time they’ve played them, mind you – and in that sense not grabbing the bonus in Pretoria was a miss.
However, the 12-all draw in Sydney was a far more significant event to the outlook for the competition than the missed bonus point if you consider that it meant that New Zealand dropped two points that they didn’t last year, and that the Wallabies have suffered a blemish at home. It means that if the Boks keep a clean slate at home and then win two games overseas they will win the quadrangular competition for the first time.
A few four try bonus points along the way will of course be a big help, but for now the focus should be to just win against the Pumas in Salta on Saturday, for that will be enough to preserve their advantage, and will give them some kind of foundation to prepare for the tour of Australasia that is likely to be the decisive stage of their challenge.
The Boks have one thing going for them ahead of this game that they didn’t have last week – the narrowness of the win at Loftus, and the way they struggled, will have swept away the arrogance that was starting to become apparent off the field with public statements that focused on chasing tries and bonus points and on it with the eschewing of kickable penalty opportunities.
It never ceases to amaze how quickly the mood of the South African rugby public can shift. This time last week it appeared everyone was buying into the image of the Boks playing a high paced, high intensity game and sweeping their way to a bonus point win. It was not just the Loftus game that fitted that image, but the ones to follow.
Now, after an unexpected Pretoria deluge that frankly did make that bonus point and that type of game impossible, there is massive concern and there are many who appear to be expecting the Boks to lose (we have some feeble fans to be sure. Predictions of Boks loosing all their games against Oz and wee abs - Bwahahahhahahaha) Perhaps that’s a good thing, for we saw in Nelspruit against Wales, when the Boks appeared beforehand to buy into the massive public optimism that followed a resounding win the week before, what can happen when there is complacency. The Boks were lucky not to lose that game.
The Boks will be grounded now, they will be going into the game in Salta expecting a tough battle and looking just for the win. And that may be a good reason why we shouldn’t be surprised if they confound the expectations by picking up the four try bonus they didn’t get last week. (Agree we have the backline to score tries if Pienaar doesnt kick our all away too much)
That outcome will be arrived at if Willie le Roux is given the opportunity to do what the wet weather didn’t allow him to do last week, which is to turn any half chance into a try scoring opportunity. It will depend though on the pack laying some kind of platform, and this match will be a litmus test for the big men in the sense that Pretoria wasn’t the first time this season that they have been found wanting in some key areas.
The scrumming, so good last season, has been an area of particular concern since the second test against Wales, and the absence of Victor Matfield has left the lineout looking decidedly creaky too (Rubbish you cant make it arule from one test in attrocious conditions - lineouts will be fine). That was where the criticism last week was justified – the wet weather may have been an excuse for not playing the game the team wanted to play, but it wasn’t an excuse for the poor performance of the forwards.
The pack does look to have a better balance this week. Marcell Coetzee was industrious at Loftus, but the best South African forward units have a big ball carrier at No 7. Willem Alberts was missed (Maybe in those conditions which are freak), but if the Juan Smith of 2014 is anything like the Juan Smith of 2010, when he last wore the green and gold, the big Sharks player will not be missed this time. (We shall see)
It is up to the pack as a whole though to get the core part of their business right. If they do, the Boks may be better equipped in other areas to score tries than their opponents are and they may find the anticipated dry field in Salta more to their liking than the green but drenched grass of home. (Agreed)
Go Bokke bank the 5 points!!
