Springboks have sent crude message to All Blacks

Jake White: Springboks have sent crude message to All Blacks

You need to ask yourself this after a few days to digest the smallest of triumphs versus England. Was the Springboks’ usage of the bench a brilliant move or was there anything wrong with their selection process? Although opinions on squad selection will never end, one thing that is clear is that Test rugby at the highest level has the narrowest of margins. In an instant, you can transform from nothing to a hero and back again.

After the semifinal match, many people seemed relieved, and Steve Borthwick deserves praise for mastering that unique strategy and, against all the odds, coming just 156 seconds away from the World Cup final. England demonstrated that it is possible to defeat the Springboks while using the Saracens players and style. They will need to get better at scoring tries, for example. England has only managed one try in six World Cup matches vs South Africa, back in Perth in 2003. They haven’t won the Webb Ellis Cup more frequently because of this.

But if you read between the lines, it appears that the players are making a strong push to support their coach for the next four years—especially now that they are starting to see some results. There are reasons for optimism because they have several talented young players and Felix Jones is rumored to be on his way. According to Sir Clive Woodward, the performance has the potential to be somewhat of a turning point for English rugby. Earlier, he claimed that England had lost the support of their supporters; perhaps, this is a turning moment for them since a fit England team is essential to world rugby.

Regarding the choice for this weekend, how could it not draw criticism? You couldn’t make this up: they choose four scrum-halves for the World Cup and one nine for the championship. They went from having Faf warm up the bench for 42 minutes to starting him in the World Cup final against all opposition in one game. The reasoning behind it will leave most people baffled.

In all likelihood, you can’t play in a World Cup final without a backup number nine, whether it Kurt-Lee (Arendse), Cheslin (Kolbe), or Kwagga (Smith). When Nick Mallett attempted to relocate Mauro Bergamasco in 2009, it was an absolute nightmare. Given the past record of World Cup finals ending in injury time, it would be extremely difficult for Faf to play all 100 minutes. Moving a wing there entails playing 100 minutes for the outside backs as well. Additionally, Damian Willemse can cover positions 10 and 12, but in the event of an injury, it leaves them extremely weak on the backline. They don’t need to take this risk.

Granted, you don’t need a lot of backline players on the bench if your primary plan is to defend, kick your own ball, and utilize your forward domination rather than engage in any offensive rugby. The players you have on the bench really depend on the kind of play you want to play. It would never be possible for the All Blacks or Ireland to start only one backline player off the bench. Given the number of phases they go through, it simply would not occur. It’s similar to expecting the play to have the same effect after losing your main guy while choreographing a dance or play.

Rassie and Jacques have been declaring, in the simplest terms possible, “we’re coming to f**k you up” on their rugby programs and social media ever since day one. Fans will only be concerned since they employed that tactic against Ireland, and it didn’t quite work out.

Springboks All Blacks

It raises questions. I watched Jacques (Nienaber) state that the players had sacrificed personal gain for the good of the team, but you’d think that at halftime, with South Africa behind 15–6, everyone would be grinning. As you can expect, things were heated, feelings were running high, and not all of the players were experiencing love. Not every player will publicly applaud the management if South Africa loses this final, but to be honest, I doubt Rassie will be very concerned about it.

The controversy surrounding Bongi (Mbonambi) and Tom Curry is similar. While some coaches would have freaked out and considered a Plan B and Plan C, they would have continued as if everything was normal. Rassie is a self-assured individual, and his message is straightforward. “We’re coming for you, we’re loaded, and if you want to stop us, you better show up,” is how it goes. He’ll be talking to his teammates about not going backwards and not giving up on the All Blacks.

Regarding New Zealand, they have utilized this World Cup as a preparatory exercise for the important Test matches. After losing to France on the first night of play, they improved internally and prepared for the historic match against Ireland before ruthlessly eliminating Argentina in the semifinals. Recall that they were thoroughly humiliated by the Springboks 35-7 just over two months ago, but on Saturday they will be a very different story. Although they don’t frequently lose by 40 points in Rugby Championship games, many would argue that Los Pumas were subpar. Their rapid progress is demonstrated by the fact that they have won 16 of the previous 18 Test matches, which is a very impressive record.

Each and every statistic

Ian Foster’s toughest task is inspiring his front pack to play with as much aggressiveness, passion, and emotion as possible in order to do the opposite. The Springboks’ problem is depriving the All Blacks’ incredibly brilliant back three—Mark Tele’a, Will Jordan, and Beauden Barrett—of the ball. They have a chance to win the game, no mistake about it, even if I don’t expect them to stomp on the Boks phase for phase.

You would expect the All Blacks to score tries despite the formidable Springbok defense, since they have already scored 47 in this World Cup. They are extremely clinical and dangerous, yet they have only encountered minimal resistance in Uruguay, Namibia, and Italy. The Boks will need to keep the scoreboard moving in order to keep them at bay since they’re comparable to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The weather is another factor; rain is predicted, which is possibly more to the All Blacks’ advantage.

Choosing a winner is really difficult because it’s a coin flip. Two losing teams have advanced to the championship game for the first time. With 12 minutes remaining, the Boks overcame England, who had trailed by nine points, and France, who had been riding their luck.

There are enough subplots to make this a thriller, but it will be fascinating to watch which side the French fans choose. The only previous occasion they squared off was in the 1995 World Cup final, which ended in extra time. Both teams will be vying for a record-tying fourth trophy hoist, with the Boks having never lost a final. It’s absurd considering the last time a team other than South Africa or New Zealand emerged victorious in a final was in 2003. That was England, and other teams must outperform those two formidable opponents. I’m eager for the whistle to blow because they’ve set the bar that everyone must reach.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *