By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: Springboks X Account.
Live from JHB: The Springboks meet New Zealand at FNB Stadium on Saturday, but the most intriguing battle at the moment, may be taking place off the field.
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie criticised South Africa’s scrum technique after the second Test, suggesting the Springboks were “walking around” opponents. Erasmus was not impressed. “My frustration wasn’t so much about his opinion, but when an opinion gets presented as fact,” Erasmus said.
He pointed to World Rugby’s established process for dealing with technical concerns. “There are now clear protocols for this. You get five clips to send to World Rugby’s officiating system, and that’s where you raise your concerns.”
Erasmus knows better than most that comments made through the media can quickly become part of the contest. “If I sat here and said New Zealand are cleaning out illegally at the breakdown and the referees must look into it, that’s not the protocol, that’s talking to referees through the media, and I’ve been burned for that before.”
He stopped short of claiming specialist authority on the scrum, instead backing coach Daan Human and the work being done inside the Springbok camp. “We would never tell the team to walk around the opposition, that’s not our strength, that’s not how we do things.”
The All Blacks, however, aren’t allowing the selection noise to distract them.
Assistant coach Mike Blair acknowledged that New Zealand had noticed the changes, particularly after Erasmus altered his front row before the second Test because of the Cape Town weather. “You take notice of it, but you take it with a pinch of salt as well,” Blair said.
“Listening to what he said after the second Test about how he changed the team around depending on the weather, it shows that they’ve got the capability of doing that.”
That is perhaps the most revealing response from New Zealand. The All Blacks aren’t preparing for a particular Springbok team so much as the Springbok method.
Rassie Erasmus named a largely settled South African side for the third Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, with Kolbe replacing the injured Damian Willemse and Kurt Lee Arendse returning to the wing after completing his concussion protocols.
The bigger change comes up front. Ox Nche, Wilco Louw and Malcolm Marx return to the starting front row, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit and Deon Fourie moving to the bench.
After the dramatic 33 to 26 victory in Cape Town last Saturday, Erasmus has made it clear that continuity was the intention. “It was always our plan to have a little more continuity in player combinations for this series and we thought that the players who did the job for us last week really showed composure and did well to stick to the plan,” he said.
Kolbe’s move to fullback is unavoidable rather than tactical experimentation. Willemse suffered a hamstring injury shortly before half time in Cape Town and was unable to return.
It will be only the second time in 53 Tests that Kolbe starts at fullback. His previous appearance came against Japan at Wembley last year, when South Africa won 61 to 7.
This is a rather different examination.
The 94,000 seat FNB Stadium will provide a very different backdrop, with rain also forecast for Johannesburg. Kolbe, meanwhile, retains the goal kicking duties and has been flawless in the series, landing all 11 of his attempts at goal and collecting 29 points.
Arendse’s return gives South Africa an explosive back three alongside Kolbe and Ethan Hooker, while Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu keeps the flyhalf jersey with Handre Pollard unavailable.
Erasmus expects a fierce response from a side that has already shown its ability to absorb pressure. New Zealand won the opening Test 33 to 16 at Ellis Park before South Africa levelled the series in Cape Town. “We know how it felt after the first match in Johannesburg, and such a result really galvanises a team,” Erasmus said.
“So we have no doubt that they will go full out to win this Test match before the series finale in the USA next week.”
The stakes make Saturday feel bigger than an ordinary third Test. The winner will take a two match lead into the Baltimore fixture, meaning New Zealand or South Africa will have the chance to secure the series there, while a South African victory would put the Springboks within touching distance of an outright series triumph.
For Erasmus, the setting adds another layer. “With the vuvuzelas and passionate crowd there, we can hardly hear one another on the field,” he said. “We are all thrilled about this occasion.”
Then came the warning. “Composure and accuracy are going to be vital for both sides.” It sounds simple. At this level, it rarely is.