Can the Boks last the pace?
WHAT TO MAKE of the Springboks ahead of the World Cup? Heyneke Meyer’s side have a pack that can match anyone in the world while a host of exciting backs emerged during the Rugby Championship with the youthful centre combination of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel showing real promise.
Some of their attacking play against Australia and New Zealand was of the highest standard but having established match-winning leads against the Wallabies in Brisbane and the All Blacks in Johannesburg, their challenge wilted in both contests while their 37-25 home loss to the Pumas was another alarming result. The Boks avenged their Durban defeat with a 26-12 victory in Buenos Aries the following week, but questions over the physical condition of Meyer’s squad ahead of a gruelling seven-week competition will continue to hang over the squad.
Can Meyer match the best rugby minds on the planet?
Meyer is a hugely respected rugby coach within South Africa. Having guided the Bulls to four Currie Cups and a maiden Super Rugby title, he was destined to succeed Jake White at the helm in 2008 until the appointment of the eccentric Peter de Villiers regime. Meyer bided his time, which included a stint coaching the Leicester Tigers, before taking up the job as head coach following South Africa’s exit at the quarter-final stage of the last World Cup in New Zealand.
A passionate and driven operator, Meyer was generally seen as a forward-orientated coach who liked to bludgeon his opposition, but, to his credit, he has developed the Springboks’ attacking play in the past few seasons and brought through a clutch of exciting players including Cheetahs full back Willie Le Roux and fly half Handre Pollard. South Africa’s attacking evolution culminated beautifully with a thrilling 27-25 victory against the All Blacks last year with Pollard starting in a two-try showing.
This past year has proved difficult for Meyer, however, with defeats against Ireland and Wales uncovering a degree of tactical naiveté in the Springboks game-plan. Ireland’s 29-15 victory against the Boks was particularly galling for Meyer and his coaching staff as the home pack’s strategic defence of the maul and Jonathan Sexton’s tactical kicking caught a complacent Boks outfit off guard. An underwhelming Rugby Championship punctuated by tactical errors – Richie McCaw’s winning try from a simple lineout move in Johannesburg a prime example – has exposed weaknesses in Meyer’s squad. The forthcoming tournament will prove the ultimate test of Meyer’s coaching credentials.
Can the old guard deliver again?
Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez were vital cogs in South Africa’s 2007 World Cup triumph, and the pair, despite being on the wrong side of 30, will be crucial once more. In their absence, a new generation of Bok stars have emerged including the all-action lock Lood de Jager who impressed alongside Eben Etzebeth in the second row in recent months.
Leadership was sorely lacking during a disappointing Rugby Championship campaign and Meyer will be hoping his former Bulls stalwarts will be fit and firing for the tournament. Matfield, who returned to action in 2014 following two years in retirement, will be entrusted with fixing a misfiring lineout ahead of the tournament.
Veteran scrum half Du Preez, who plies his trade with Suntory Sungoliath in Japan, has seen been plagued by injuries over the past 18 months but has been tipped to usurp Ruan Pienaar as first-choice number nine.
It’s a big ask for the pair. Their World Cup pedigree is unquestionable, but it could be a tournament too far….
Back row balance?
Meyer effectively deployed three opensides in his backrow against the All Blacks by selecting Heinrich Brussow, Francois Louw and stand-in skipper Schalk Burger as his trio. The experiment worked a treat as Cheetahs veteran Brussow and Bath flanker Louw disrupted the visitors’ at ruck time during a hugely dominant first half before New Zealand’s second half resurgence.
With Sharks blindside Willem Alberts and Toulon-bound No 8 Duane Vermeuelen both back in the World Cup mix following injury, Meyer has a big selection dilemma ahead of him.
