The Challenge Ahead: Winning Away

OUTLINE

The Boks have not played a game away from home since November 2nd 2019. The World Cup final. That's a total of twenty-one months and twenty-two days. Basically, a year and nine months. It's been a long time, and in during that period the rugby world has largely continued without the Boks. Now they will face their foes in Australia, not a happy hunting ground in recent memory. The last time the Boks won in Australia was September 2013, when the Boks monstered the Wallabies at the breakdown with the powerful combination of Thor, Alberts and Louw. There was the draw in 2017 23 all, two tries apiece. The Wallabies haven't been the power they once were for the past few years, but they are still tough to beat at home. We have faced New Zealand only once in Australia, and that was the disastrous 2003 quarter-final where die Schwarzwelle obliterated Krige's charges. It will be a tough ask to defeat Australia and New Zealand under such circumstances, especially as they haven't face an opponent of this caliber since the loss to New Zealand on September 21st, which is nearly two years ago! 

THE VENUES

CBUS Stadium: Otherwise known as Robina Stadium. The only rugby union tests hosted here have been between Australia and Argentina. It's a smaller version of Suncorp Stadium. This is the home ground of the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL. Like Suncorp, this is a government-run ground, which means it has all of the necessary ground staff and equipment to keep the stadium in good condition. A fast surface to be expected. Bok Record: None. 

SUNCORP Stadium: Also known as Lang Park, or Brisbane Stadium, and nicknamed 'The Cauldron'. There have been 36 tests hosted here. The Boks have a poor record, winning two and losing seven. We can expect a dry and fast surface , which will suit the higher tempo of the Wallabies and All Blacks. Suncorp features Strathayr turf. Strathayr tracks are made with reflex mesh elements to resist compaction and provides greater extended life of the rootzone profile. The Boks will face their second encounter with the Wallabies here. Bok Record: 22%.

QLD Country Bank Stadium: Otherwise known as North Queensland Stadium, home of the North Queensland Cowboys, who play in the NRL. Australia's campaign to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup began a long struggle for the region to secure the funding for the construction of the stadium, but in 2019 the fruits of that struggle finally came to fruition. This stadium has been described as very dry, and "dead fast" by NRL fans. The surface of the pitch is made up of natural grass, but it has a mesh of underlying artificial fibres to create vertical and horizontal stability on the pitch. No test have been held at this venue; this will be the venue for the first encounter between the Boks and the old enemy, New Zealand. Bok Record: None. 

SPRINGBOK AWAY RECORD

Brisbane will be tough...

Agreed. I'm concerned about the fitness of the Boks. When put under duress, they have lookes gased. In the last test, they were very slow getting into their positions for set plays etc. They were looking tired. They've had periods of pressure, but haven't really been stretched for long periods. We simply haven't seen them under the pressure that New Zealand and Australia can and will apply. The conditions should be favourable for running the ball. I'll add some more details on conditions later, but it's too early foor forecasts. When the Boks won in 2013 they used their lethal maul and kicks into the corners to force the Wallabies to run it from deep, especially as Folau had no relieving boot. That and immense breakdown pressure squeezed the life out of them. They can't go into their shell. In 2018, Josè tried to open the playbook a little bit, putting a glut of ball into the hands of Damian. It failed. The big gimmick of that test was an inward screen by Kriel and a crashball in the outer defender. Predictable and ineffective. Yet we still could have won. We don't even have that right now. We'll see what Josè does next, but he seems entrenched on these shallow high balls and mauling for penalties.