Well, it was a blast. What a series. As the dust finally settles, the first thing I’d say about rugby’s greatest rivalry is yes South Africa and New Zealand are clearly the two best teams in the world. That’s not even in dispute. It states the obvious.
Of course, All black people A winning start in Johannesburg gave the series the perfect platform, but in the deciding Test, when Ardie Savea departed in the 31st minute, New Zealand’s hopes seemed to go with him.
So what did we learn? Well, firstly, the Springboks showed their cojones again. Defeated 1-0 and with their backs against the wall, they showed their teeth and bulldozed their way to a 3-1 series win. You have to give them huge credit for that.
As is often said, they have a bevy of aging players, so winning three in a row over three weekends shows their opponents that they still have the burning desire, and most importantly, the legs, to go the distance, as they will need to do in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
There have been question marks in some quarters about the longevity of Pieter-Steph du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Jesse Kriel, Eben Etzebeth, Damian de Allende and even Deon Fourie, who turns 40 in a week, but they have unequivocally answered the doubts. They went to some dark places and came through the other side.
Funny, I was asked yesterday, what should the Springboks change? Well, I wouldn’t say anything. No arrogance, it’s up to the pack to catch up.
Of course, there will always be select posers, for example, who covers Malcolm Marx in Whore? Could Ox Nche or Jan Hendrick-Wessels be transformed in the next 12 months? Whoever it is, Rasie always seems to come up trumps. Whenever he sets a plan in motion, it works. We were open minded as to who would be the next best scrum-half off the line and then Morne van den Berg bagged man of the match. He had to bide his time, waiting behind Faf (de Klerk), Grant Williams and Cobus Reinach, but that’s what you have to do to get a Springbok cap.
Then there are the hips. Ethan Hooker’s ability under the high ball provided the perfect counterbalance to wing forwards Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse. Rassie has switched positions and personnel very well, and a fellow Test coach has thrown a round of applause in his direction, and I agree. Fans and pundits are quick to judge you, but when you get it right, you have to pat yourself on the back
What impressed me was Rassi’s power to motivate, again and again, as there was no doubt that they were punished and under pressure after their first Test defeat. He must bottle that special sauce and use it to fire the players, the staff, the wider support group and even the fans to take the team to new heights.
As for the All Blacks, it’s fair to say they’ve really turned the corner, but what I’ve picked up from a number of commentators is that they document how the Springboks ‘made yards with every carry’. In living memory, I struggle to remember when it happened before. Of course, it happens to other sides, but not the All Blacks.
Now one of the key principles of rugby is to go forward, but that is easier said than done with modern defences. That momentum allows you to put the defense under pressure. Look at Jasper Wiese, Ox Nche, Damian de Allende. They are all comfortable to carry flat and hard and that hurt New Zealand. A word for Jordie Barrett though. Amidst the offense, I thought he was outstanding defensively. When on the back foot, they used their power to drive the All Blacks back, inch by inch, away from the try line. To the naked eye, they don’t have the likes of Jonah Lomu, Jerome Kaino, Ma’a Nonu, Brodie Retallick or Tana Umaga drilling holes the same way. Take that 32-stage effort, completed by Will Jordan. It was amazing, but it must have taken so much out of them. You can’t do that for 80 minutes. That’s too much. They need to find guys who can get post-contact meters. Maybe with Caleb Clarke and Leicester Fainga’anuku back on the spot, may have more shots.
As much as they’ve improved, they’re still chasing the Springboks’ tails. In a post-match interview, Richie Mo’unga was asked by reporters if this Springbok team is better than the 2023 World Cup crop. His answer: ‘yes, they are incredibly good at creating pressure without the ball’. Kieran Read agreed, when he said, ‘they fight for everything on the pitch. Every player goes hard at the breakdown, whether it’s scrum-half, scrum-half or outside backs, they don’t give up any territory lightly’.
It is a collective decision. Collective responsibility and collective physicality. He comes off the bench; it comes with a rotation, and behind closed doors, Rassie is most likely holding them accountable. The secret of every coach is how to keep that burning desire on the field. I’ve trained against them, and in New Zealand there was a lot of it. Jerry Collins, Sam Whitlocks and Richie McCaws gave you absolutely nothing. They were like Terminators. They were just coming back. These comments tell me that Mo’unga is left feeling under the pump, and if you can make 10 feel under pressure all the time, the whole game plan starts to shift in your favor.
Of course, it would be naive to think that the World Cup accomplished fact because historically there has always been an upset or curveball to upset the status quo, as New Zealand lost to France in Cardiff in 2007, but it is clear that these are the two teams that will have to be beaten on their way to the Webb Ellis Cup.
France are probably the closest to challenging the world order due to their power and strength in depth and it is interesting to see that there have been changes to the playing time limit and they are taking their assault on the trophy very seriously. On their day, they can beat anyone.
It’s funny, in 2006 I was resting players and people were telling me I was crazy. In hindsight, maybe historically I could have had more wins in the book, but if the crown jewel is a World Cup goal, so be it. The message is clear to the players; they are put first and there is a single goal. That test at the end of the year will tell us how close Les Bleus are to breaking the RGR hegemony.
I would love to hear your opinion. Can anyone break the South Africa-New Zealand axis of power?
