Ex Gavin Rich of Supersport
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer would have welcomed the hint of fighting talk that came from France coach Philippe Saint-Andre when he named his team for Saturday’s test at Stade de France in Paris.
In sticking largely with the side that fell just short against New Zealand two weeks ago, Saint-Andre said that the South Africans were “large and lusty fellows, up for the fight in the one-on-one situation.”
He said his team had been selected to go toe to toe with those Bok strengths. In other words, the French won’t be standing back and will be looking to deliver to the Boks some of what they see as their own medicine.
If reading those words makes the Boks bristle just a bit and provide a small amount of extra motivation for a hard, physical battle, then it will be a good thing for a side that is coming to the end of a long season and which will be going into the game with fatigue as much an enemy as the opposing team is.
The Boks have made a habit since 2006, when they won the last match of the year at Twickenham, of being victorious at the final hurdle.
Only once, in 2009, has that not been the case, and like in 2005, when they lost in Paris to France, it might well be because that final game of the year wasn’t against England, but a less-hated foe in the form of Ireland.
Former Bok coach Peter de Villiers used to often speak about the extra arm and a leg that his men seemed to grow whenever they played England.
He put it down to the history, not just on the rugby field, but also dating back to a war that was fought more than a century ago. (YEs ou maaaikie bristles noticeably when we play the Poms)
Whether or not De Villiers was exaggerating or not only the players involved will know, but he does appear to have a point – South Africans love beating England on the sporting field.
And it does make sense that the simple refusal to lose to that team might have driven the Boks when they were struggling to fight off fatigue in the gloom of the London autumns of 2008, 2010 and 2012.
EXTRA MOTIVATION
How desperate are the Boks to beat France? Meyer says they are, and there is the extra little motivation that comes with knowing that ending the year with a success record of above 80% would mean Jean de Villiers’ team step into the top three post-isolation Bok teams when it comes to their record over the calendar year. (Regardless of a win over France the Meyer bashers will find fault and wail away!)
The short turnaround from last week’s game against Scotland, just six days in all, won’t have helped the Boks with their sharpness and keenness for battle, and you have to remember that unlike the New Zealand and Australian teams also on tour at this time, the South African players went straight from the Rugby Championships into a bruising final stage of the Currie Cup. (Frankly our management of players borders on the absurd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No joke intended)
So effectively they haven’t really had a break since the All Black game in Johannesburg that ended the southern-hemisphere international season in October.
It is why at one stage Meyer says he considered arranging only one training session for the week, as was the case for much of the De Villiers era at this stage of the year.
But in the end he decided against it as he feels the players do have stuff they need to get through before they lock horns with France. So the mantra for the week has been to stay focused for one final effort.
“I do tend to over-train rather than under-train but this is an important match and the players know they can rest after this so I want them to remain focused on the task this week and put in one special last effort,” said Meyer.
The coach knows parts of his team might be running on empty, which is why he called up six forwards to sit on the bench.(Yes one can see the problem - the abs wouldnt be able to filed a team under these circumstances)
It makes sense, for the area where the Boks might have players who have been over-played is upfront, with the backline dominated either by northern-based players just into their new season or Japan club players who have looked over the past weeks like they could do with a few extra gallops.(Please note ou maaaikie and snapster! - but JJ must be fresh enough one would think!)
This being France, and France being a place where the hosts do lift themselves against the big two of New Zealand and South Africa, it will be the pack that carries the Bok hopes on Saturday.
Scrum coach Pieter de Villiers said it during the week: the French do pride themselves on their first-phase play and their appetite for physical confrontation.
It was in the scrums in particular that France sunk John Smit’s team when last the South Africans came this way for a game in Toulouse in 2009.
The reggae rendition of the national anthem wasn’t the only thing that went wrong on that Friday night, for the Boks were also beaten at their own game, as indeed they were here in Paris in 2005, not to mention Marseille in 2002.
The problem for South Africa is of course that they don’t have their strongest front row playing, as Jannie du Plessis is absent (So is Malherbe), and his replacement Coenie Oosthuizen is untried as a member of the starting team as a tighthead at this level.
It’s going to be a tough baptism for Oosthuizen, as some rate the French pack to be the best scrum unit in the world.(Good luck Coenie!!)
But then as Meyer would probably say, South Africans are supposed to be tough, and his players are supposed to be tough if they want to play for their country.
There is certainly nothing wrong with Oosthuizen’s strength – he is one of the strongest props in the business. It just comes down to technique.
If he gets it right, Oosthuizen would have turned a significant clod in the Bok quest to win the match and end an impressive year on a high.
From my memory of 2005 though, it’s going to be bitterly cold so late at night as a front has swept in over Paris, and in addition to a fired-up French team and unavoidable late-season fatigue, the Boks will be up against the elements.
So this is an occasion where any win by any margin will be an achievement to celebrate and a significant boost to the confidence.
Gooooooo Bokke time to roast a few frogs!!!
TEAMS
FRANCE: Brice Dulin, Sofiane Guitoune, Florian Fritz, Wesley Fofana, Yoann Huget, Remi Tales, Morgan Parra, Damien Chouly, Wenceslas Lauret, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Yoann Maestri, Pascal Pape, Nicolas Mas, Benjamin Kayser, Yannick Forestier. Repacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Thomas Domingo, Rabah Slimani, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Yannick Nyanga, Jean-Marc Doussain, Frederic Michalak, Mathieu Bastareaud.
SOUTH AFRICA: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers (captain), Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Flip van der Merwe, Eben Etzebeth, Coenie Oosthuizen, Bismarck du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira. Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Gurthro Steenkamp, Lourens Adriaanse, Bakkies Botha, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Jano Vermaak, Patrick Lambie.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).
Kick-off: 10pm SA time (9pm France)
Prediction: Boks to score narrow win
