Boks still top for Blacks
1 Oct 2012
Sam Cane says the Springboks remain the scalp the All Blacks most covet and the challenge of winning on their turf will ensure there’s no complacency in their ranks.
The Blacks won the Rugby Championship title with victory over Argentina on Saturday, rendering their forthcoming meeting with the Springboks in Soweto inconsequential in terms of log standings.
However, the Springboks will be desperate to beat the team they consider the benchmark in the game, and do so in front of a crowd that is expected to top 65 000.
New Zealand fielded a significantly weakened team in Port Elizabeth when they were in a similar position in the 2011 Tri-Nations, but have indicated they will play their best combinations this time around. The tourists have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning regularly home and away. There is a sense among some that this has eroded its appeal for the Blacks, but Cane refuted that suggestion.
‘Complacency won’t be an issue at all. We’ve won the championship but have parked that now. This has always been a big Test match and hearing from the older guys in the team it is more rewarding to win over here than it is back home. This is absolutely still our biggest challenge. To win here would be special because it is one of the hardest places in the world to achieve that,’ he said.
The Springboks spurned an excellent opportunity to beat the Blacks in Dunedin three weeks ago, having bossed the forward exchanges and dominated territory and possession. Steve Hansen’s men struggled to get any momentum into their attacking game thanks to an accurate and physical defensive effort. Cane said this would be a decisive facet of play once more.
‘Their clean-out was exceptional, they put on a lot of heat there,’ he said. ‘We probably didn’t adjust well enough. We improved in Argentina and must grow that area of our game.
‘If we dominate collisions and get the gainline it will allow our loose forwards to get them off the ball. It will be pretty important to who wins.’
He added that the Springboks’ approach has been predictable but Johan Goosen’s inclusion makes them less so. ‘Typically over the last few years the Boks have tried to dominate in the forwards then gone to the air (up and unders). But with [Goosen] there, he lends them some attacking game. It’ll be interesting to see what they bring.’
The Springboks lost to the Blacks in their first outing at Soccer City in 2010. On that occasion the crowd support was deafening at times and Cane was wary of the Springboks getting off to a flyer and fuelling their fire of those in the stands.
‘They’ll have about 90 000 behind them so it’s important to start well and take the crowd out of the equation, like we did on Saturday. If they got on a roll they can almost grow another arm and a leg.’
By Ryan Vrede, in Johannesburg
18 Comments
1 Oct 2012, 15:48 pm
Got my 5 dragon tickets.
1 Oct 2012, 16:20 pm
doubt it will be as low as 65. I think it will sell out before the weekend
1 Oct 2012, 16:46 pm
It’d probably a good idea to tell the young fellas what to say but sometimes the ABs sound brainwashed. “Parking” the RC, “taking the crowd out of the equation”. I’m sure that’s the third time i’ve heard those exact phrases in the last few days. Surprised he wasn’t talking about expressing himself.
Ryan is still waiting for the days one of the Boks starts telling the media they need to “boss the collisions”
1 Oct 2012, 20:25 pm
One of the key strengths of AB rugby is their self-belief.
This has been nurtured for decades and by now it is part of the AB rugby psyche to never give up or differently stated, to continue to believe that you can win it.
So even they are behind by 12 or so at half time, there is an arrogant belief that somehow they will bounce back and win it in the end. Now any of us who have done any form of sport will know that that type of opponent is the hardest to beat.
And to be fair, it is not an unfounded arrogance. They have worked out that to come back or win you have to create and finish opportunities and in that dept they lead the world by far
So the real challenge for Meyer’s Boks lies between their ears. Do they really believe that they can beat the ABs? I don’t think so.I think they would like to start believing but it’s not quite there yet. This is a pity because in reality they can beat them.
The way forward has to be to surprise the ABs- new moves, fresh ideas – and if they can win that battle they will have a realistic chance. ABs will plan meticulously and would have noticed that Goosen brings something else – note the usage of the word ‘interesting’
So it’s there for the taking. But it will require a belief that goes out to dominate and finish every time. The biggest opportunity will be to dominate in the forwards; that will rattle them but every half chance must be converted and we’re not good at that. We left 3 tries on the park last Saturday, that is almost unforgivable…
1 Oct 2012, 20:41 pm
I got my 21 tickets…….stag party!!
2 Oct 2012, 07:32 am
Had we beaten them in Dunedin this would have been the final. We would have been on 16 points and they on 18. If and butts I know but weneed to fire Louis Skoen. How **** was our kickers? We left at least 40 points on the park due to bad place kicking.
2 Oct 2012, 07:52 am
6 I thought it was more than that, closer to 50 you guys are special.ww
2 Oct 2012, 07:59 am
I was there in 2010 at Soccer City.
Very, very dissapointing day.
2 Oct 2012, 08:22 am
Who is Sam Cane and what does he know about the Boks?
2 Oct 2012, 08:26 am
7- well we can throw in the argentina and aus game and it would have been the boks with 5/5 win record. Ifs an butts…
2 Oct 2012, 08:27 am
@The Analyst-9:
Quite right.
Ignore the comment. NZ doesn’t actually rate SA, it is all PR-BS
2 Oct 2012, 08:33 am
@The Analyst-9:
He’s the only guy with a kiwi accent Reyhan could find at short notice.
2 Oct 2012, 08:33 am
@onerb-10:
All these if’s and buts on the part of the Bokke assume the AB’s aren’t allowed if’s and buts to match what happens during the game.
2 Oct 2012, 08:34 am
@NZINCHINA-7:
Sarky
Watch what you say
You’ll wake STBUR
2 Oct 2012, 08:50 am
These articles are so embarrassing. They make it seem like we need NZ to justify our rugby existence. Sure, there is mutual respect between the teams but these soppy quotes make me cringe.
2 Oct 2012, 08:52 am
@H-15:
Well said that man!
2 Oct 2012, 09:13 am
Considering SA is the only country left who have a positive win ratio AT HOME to the AB’s, I expect the likes of Sam Cane will use that as a motivator.
2 Oct 2012, 13:20 pm
I have tickets too. I am worried that my 3 year old will be watching the Boks lose on the first occasion he attends a rugby game.
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