Jean braces for flash Flood
15 Jun 2012
Jean de Villiers expects England flyhalf Toby Flood to pose the greatest attacking threat in Saturday’s Test at Ellis Park.
The Springbok skipper looked like a boxer rather than a rugby player when he addressed the media on Friday. De Villiers is currently sporting a shiner below his right eye and his face is puffier than usual, the result of a brutally physical bout with England at Kings Park last week.
The theme for the second Test shouldn’t differ too much from the first, with the more physically dominant side in the tackle set to emerge with the spoils. The forward battles will be fiercely contested but so too will the fracas in midfield, with two combative sets of centres selected.
De Villiers admitted that the Boks have spoken about containing the powerful Manu Tuilagi as well as the relatively unknown Jamie Joseph. They will also be wary of the new man starting at No 10 for England, as Flood is the type who can pose a threat both as an individual runner and as a distributor.
On Thursday, Flood mentioned that he and Tuilagi have enjoyed a good partnership at Leicester, and that this would be significant for England at Ellis Park. As a player who has faced Flood before and is aware of his game-breaking strengths, De Villiers singled out the England flyhalf as a player that would need to be repressed.
‘Experience counts for a helluva lot, and that’s why Toby will be an important player for them,’ De Villiers told keo.co.za. ‘There are some young guys on his outside that he will need to look after, but as an individual player he is definitely somebody we need to look at.
‘He has a great passing and kicking game. We have to make sure we don’t give him enough time and room to make good decisions.’
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer has demanded that his charges lift their intensity and accuracy levels at ruck time. It is hoped that a sharper showing at the tackle will allow the Boks to build some pressure on the England pack, and that this pressure will be transferred onto the England halfback combination.
Meyer expects England to keep the ball in hand a lot more this week, but De Villiers said that the hosts would still be prepared for a more balanced approach. Again De Villiers singled out Flood’s kicking game as a strength and is mindful of the damage it can potentially inflict.
‘We have to be prepared for anything, whether they run or kick. We will have to adapt to whatever they do on the day.’
If the Boks succeed in winning the collisions and limiting the options of England halfbacks Ben Youngs and Flood, it will make their task in midfield far easier. Nevertheless, the battle-scarred De Villiers is expecting Tuilagi and Joseph to use their bulk and speed to full effect.
‘I don’t think it will matter whether he plays 12 or 13, Manu is a quality player. He won’t have as many one-on-one opportunities now that he’s closer to the action, but he’s a hard runner and we are going to have to keep an eye on him, because he’s difficult to stop once he gets going.
‘While I haven’t seen Joseph play, I have done an analysis. He’s another big guy and he seems to have the skill and the pace. It’s going to be another tough challenge.’
De Villiers said there was good reason for the Boks to feel more confident than before, as the extra week has afforded them further opportunity to gel as a combination.
Following a good week of training in Johannesburg, the captain expects the Boks to produce an improved performance.
‘We looked at the video [of the first Test] and it’s obvious that we need to improve at the rucks, on attack and even at the set phases. It definitely helps having spent another week together.
‘It was difficult at first, there were new players involved and new patterns that we needed to get used to. But there’s been a noticeable change this week, we’re playing more instinctively at training which for me suggests we are getting closer as a team.
‘A week in rugby is a helluva long time and I’ve felt that every time we’ve got together [for a training session] we’ve got a bit better as a unit.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Johannesburg
24 Comments
15 Jun 2012, 13:24 pm
Tsunami dragon
15 Jun 2012, 13:38 pm
Like him as Captain
15 Jun 2012, 13:55 pm
these writers sure try and be witty with their headlines.
At least they achieve half of it.
15 Jun 2012, 13:59 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-2: Me too- despite all these armchair critics on this site who knock him without a valid rugby reason.
15 Jun 2012, 14:04 pm
@trupisero(trupisero)-3: Indeed. I expect, once Flood has been re-selected for the third test, a headline that reads…
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…wait for it…
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“Toby continued”
15 Jun 2012, 14:10 pm
JDV is absolute quality, he has very rarely let us down in a green and golf shirt!
15 Jun 2012, 14:18 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-6: That may be true, but they don’t play in golf shirts though.
15 Jun 2012, 14:27 pm
Am I on the right site. Thus far i have only seen negative things about JdV on here
15 Jun 2012, 14:31 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-8: Yeah,a lot of haters on here,but he is one cool level headed dude,and has a 100% win ratio.The coach obviously believes in him,good enough for me.
15 Jun 2012, 14:35 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-7: “Jersey” is so last year though
15 Jun 2012, 14:46 pm
@Skeppie – JDV has been great and is coming back into form glad to see
he has been off the last 2 seasons. WC fwd pass to Lambie really for his standards that was a big let down.. but lets not hang him out to dry for that… I like him and think he could be a great captain. I think on Sat in the beginning he was not confident on the first few calls, But 2nd half he came into his own.
JDV over Burger I feel. But JDV will battle with injuries and 1st team starts I.
Think we should see how Bissie does if JDV goes off on Sat… would like to see how he approaches the calls and being the leader..
15 Jun 2012, 15:17 pm
Where’s Puma hiding?
You guys seen the Q&A with Brenden Nel
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sa-rugby/news/120614/QA_with_Brenden_Nel
15 Jun 2012, 16:53 pm
Remember Flood’s violent push of Monty in RWC 07. Sent him flying into the TV cameras. Oppas, pielneus. Ons het jou nommer. Bizzie dag vir jou.
15 Jun 2012, 20:58 pm
Joseph is pretty useful watched a handful of his games but he will be a deer in the headlights come Saturday. You need experience against Steyn and JDV.
15 Jun 2012, 23:44 pm
JDV: ‘While I haven’t seen Joseph play, I have done an analysis. He’s another big guy and he seems to have the skill and the pace. It’s going to be another tough challenge.’
LOL most in England havent seen him as well
Hes a wonderful runner, hes got that arching break, hes a power runner and hes got incredibly fast feet
16 Jun 2012, 00:52 am
@JEZ(DEE DAH)-14:
Fear the unknown.
16 Jun 2012, 04:07 am
There is more substance to the coach and captain comments nowadays. Let’s hope the bland and sterile PR line is a thing of the past.
16 Jun 2012, 07:10 am
I also like JdV’s captaincy style. Composed on and off the field, thinks on his feet, can identify with and bring together different cultures in team and good ref management (knows when to back off and when to plant seeds of doubt – “is that their second warning”?). Good man to lead this young side.
16 Jun 2012, 08:54 am
JDV doing great so far. I have only heard positive comments on his captancy myself.
16 Jun 2012, 08:58 am
So dawn breaks on another magnificent highveld day…
A golden sun over the City of Gold…
A Golden Dawn for The Green and Gold begins today…
And I will be there…
BOKBEFOK.
16 Jun 2012, 09:01 am
Go Patrick
Go JP
Go Cappie Donkey
Go Rocket
Go Habanero
Go Iceman
Go Hougie
Go GI Joe
Go Bone Collector
Go Wrecking Ball
Go Juandre
Go Eben
Go Doc
Go Bismarck Captain of Vice
Go Beast
Go Boks…
Go Heyneke…
Make us Proud
16 Jun 2012, 09:07 am
Greetings from Sunny Thailand. I am working on my score predictions. Can any kind soul please tell me the expected weather conditions and who the match officials are? Thanks in advance
16 Jun 2012, 11:31 am
@Nautigal(Nautigal)-22: shane warne got into trouble for that sort of thing
16 Jun 2012, 12:55 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-23:
Ha ha roobarb2, very sharp!
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