Rugby World Cup: Springboks aim to pour cold water on All Blacks’ hot attack in final
By covering the All Blacks coach Ian Fosters’ squad’s assault in the World Cup final in Paris on Sunday AM (NZT), the Springboks aim to spoil his farewell party.
Even if their approaches were different in the semifinals last weekend, both teams’ assistant coaches believe the first 20 minutes at Stade de France might be very important.
In an attempt to win the Webb Ellis Cup again, the Springboks assistant coach, Daan Human, stated that his squad had not forgotten the All Blacks’ incredible start on July 15 in Auckland, where they sprinted out to a 17-0 lead in the first 12 minutes and held on to win 35-20 at Mt Smart Stadium.
Then the reaction started.
In late August, the Springboks dominated the All Blacks in London, easily winning 35-7 at Twickenham to get revenge for their earlier Rugby Championship loss.
“It’s crucial to finish strong as well, but a strong start is always beneficial,” Human stated.
“We’ll work on it because we know the All Blacks appreciate a quick start, but rugby matches are won in 80 minutes. They took a 17-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of our first game against them this year, but we were able to turn the tide in the second game (in London).
Foster has been the team’s coach since 2020, but NZ Rugby has already appointed Scott Robertson to succeed him the following year, thus the final will be his last game in that role.
September 9 saw the All Blacks lose 27–13 to France in the tournament opener in Paris, after they had lost to the Springboks in London.
But ever since, the All Blacks have intensified their attack and shown that they can score from wherever in the paddock.
After losing to France, the All Blacks defeated Ireland 28–24 in the quarterfinal and easily defeated Namibia, Italy, and Uruguay in their pool games. They crushed Argentina 44-6 in the semifinal last weekend, showing how strong they are.
In their semifinal match against England, the Springboks were forced into a roll-in-the-dirt battle; Handre Pollard had to kick a 50-meter penalty on the angle to give them a thrilling but uninteresting 16–15 victory.
Two formidable rivals, distinct in their styles.
The All Blacks are not going to sit back. Should that be the case, they might as well forego taking the bus to the Stade de France. Sure, the Springboks have the ability to leather the ball into the air, but they also have two speedy, agile wings in Kurt-Lee Aredse and Cheslin Kolbe.
They both enjoy chasing high kicks, and the last line of defense might as well raise the white flag if the ball ends up in their possession.
The All Blacks, like the Springboks, aim to be at full speed from the moment English referee Wayne Barnes sounds the beginning whistle. According to All Blacks defence coach Scott McLeod, the first 20 minutes will be more than just a softening-up phase.
According to McLeod, “it’s no secret that both sides will be concentrating on the first 20 minutes.” “Who can execute with accuracy is the key. That is something we discussed this morning. We must be incredibly precise, display the images we wish to display, and exert pressure all at once.
“We will take our lessons from Mt Smart and want to do the same. The Boks have always wanted to start well.”
It is anticipated that Foster will not significantly alter the All Blacks. He might change his hairstyle, placing Sam Whitelock on the bench and bringing Brodie Retallick back into the starting lineup.
Manie Libbock could start at No. 10, behind Pollard, according to Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber. Following his list of seven attackers in his reserves for the Twickenham match, the makeup of his bench
“They excel in every area,” Human remarked. They have a strong forward pack and are well-prepared, so they’ll want to take advantage of it and dominate there.
Thus, it will be a difficult battle.