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Kolbe an injury doubt for Springboks' first away game since 2019

(Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

World champions South Africa hope to exploit the Wallabies’ ball in hand approach in next Sunday’s Rugby Championship clash. The Gold Coast meeting will be the first between the sides since the Springboks won the 2019 World Cup, the visitors using their quarantine period to recover after series wins against Argentina and the British and Irish Lions, but they may have to play minus Cheslin Kolbe.

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The Wallabies are licking wounds after three comprehensive losses to the All Blacks when their daring offence so often resulted in points against from turnovers. Springboks assistant coach Deon Davids has been watching and isn’t surprised by Dave Rennie’s offensive ambitions, even if they haven’t quite come off yet.

“That is part of his approach; to have this attacking philosophy and he likes his teams to play with the ball in hand,” he said. “Their attack’s really improved but they would look back in terms of execution and decision making, it wasn’t… as good as they would have wanted.

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“They will look at it and try to correct it. (It will be) high intensity, (we will need to) defend multiple phases against a team that likes to keep the ball in hand. But be patient and, in terms of execution, if you get an opportunity, use it.”

Winger Kolbe (leg) is in doubt for Sunday’s Springboks game, the first of four Tests in four consecutive weeks across Queensland. Davids said all other touring members were available for selection, meaning World Cup-winning No8 Duane Vermeulen and half-back Faf de Klerk could both make their injury returns.

Under-fire director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has not travelled with the squad ahead of a World Rugby hearing after an hour-long video critique of Australian referee Nic Berry following their first Test loss to the Lions. The Springboks have won their four games since that July 24 loss and they sit one point behind the All Blacks following two rounds of the Rugby Championship.

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Flankly 2 hours ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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