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The Springboks have one hand on the Rugby Championship trophy
By Ben Smith
The Springboks are sitting pretty in the box seat to claim the Rugby Championship title for the first time in four years after the split-squad strategy paid dividends in Pretoria.
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The performance at Loftus Versfeld was completely dominant, with the Wallabies’ defence at sixes and sevens trying to predict how the Bok maul would be played.
The Australians could not decide which side of the maul to defend as the Boks used peels and well-timed short side raids to run riot as the threat of the rolling maul was ever present.
Mannie Libbok ran past an isolated debutant Tom Hooper out of this own 22, left out to dry by his teammates who switched sides moments earlier, highlighted the issues with the defence and gave the Boks the green light to call more plays off the maul platform.
They had a short side try later through Kurt-Lee Arendse compiling more misery on the visitors. He went on to grab a third, and had a fourth on offer taken away by a professional foul.
Andre Esterhuizen was a changed player on his international return, charging into the line with unrestrained power and showing his recall was deserved.
The scary thought is that most of the players involved in the demolition job will not be starting in Auckland, with only five in the XV lining up again, with six others named on the bench.
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The Springbok bench has the rugby world falling victim to green-eyed jealousy, unable to suppress the painful thought of players such as Malcolm Marx, Duane Vermuelen and former World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit coming into the game late.
To think that Arendse, Esterhuizen and Marco van Staden have been deemed surplus to requirements after starring roles against the Wallabies is hard to fathom.
Tier one talent is overflowing out of this squad, an unrivalled beast with the ability to play two ‘A’ teams with different players.
The All Blacks do not have the same luxury, with all but two players travelling to Argentina and back.
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This round trip will be hitting Foster’s men hard, even those who sat back and were merely observers in Mendoza.
This source of strength has given the Springboks a grasp on the Rugby Championship trophy already.
The jet lagged All Blacks have to try to muster the courage to fight the ungodly riches of South African rugby whilst fighting through the fog with impaired cognitive function.
On paper some would say it is an impossible task.
The stars have aligned for South Africa’s rested crew to do what they have done in recent years, which is get results in New Zealand.
They know how to handle the All Blacks at home having claimed a 36-34 win in Wellington in 2018 as the home side couldn’t figure out how to take a drop goal in the dying stages.
In 2019 at the same venue they produced a final play for the ages to claim a late 16-all draw which proved pivotal when the All Blacks fell to the Wallabies in Perth.
The stage is set for the Springboks to knock off the All Blacks at a rugby league ground, away from the spiritual home at Eden Park where the record can’t offer the home side sanctuary.
There couldn’t be a more advantageous position to be in after getting the opening round result and preserving the experienced core of All Black killers.
Like a special ops team dropping in the dark cover of night, Rassie’s special squadron were here early for the operation.
This is not a drill. The Springboks have one hand on the Rugby Championship trophy.
What now Ben? World cup?
Deep breathe....ok thats better. Looking forward to the midfield clash
Back them now.
The ABs are under MASSIVE pressure to win this weekend. They pretty much have to win. Their credentials leading into this
World Cup year haven’t been sketchier. Yet they are the favourites on Saturday. Their coach has been skating on thin ice from day one. A loss would be simply devastating given the narrative that they are “on the up”.
The boks on the other hand can lose this game, have the loss written off as another loss against the ABs in NZ. “To be expected” - really. And fly under the radar as written-off underdogs where they like to be. And if they win? Gosh there’ll be some humble pie dished out.
The ABs might argue that they are always under pressure to win. But this Foster tenure has been unconvincing. And I’d be worried.
I, as a Springbok supporter, won't be too cocky or write the AB's off. They after last week's demolition of Argentina also probably have one hand on the trophy.
Ben as usual trying to blow smoke up our arses🙄 f-off Ben...we know your ways on Twitter
We all know Ben Smith likes to take the mickey! If the Boks lose he'll be saying the Boks with their nuke squad couldnt win an underdepleted All Black side and how the All Blacks countered the famous Bomb Squad. If the Boks win hell be saying i told you so! Take this article with a grain of salt and watch 2 teams try and destroy each other. Its going to be Epic and great for SH rugby going into the World Cup.
You're dreaming mate. Surely no super has to have made them just a little bit more boring and predictable. I'm sure the bokke haven't forgotten where they are and who they palying. Good click bait but.
Well its a heavy trophy so which other team has one hand on the trophy as well?
Joe Schmidt has no doubt watched the Bok/Wallaby game 20 times since Saturday. And NZ will have a plan to neutralize Bok strengths while targeting their weaknesses. Jacques has also been busy with his pause, rewind and slo-mo buttons, trying to reverse engineer the NZ plan in Mendoza.
All of the stuff about training, travel, split squads and depth in all positions is great groundwork. As is good success against Eddie Jones. And the months of planning for this game, which I suspect the Boks have targeted as a key stepping stone to the RWC, is a further reinforcement of the foundations. But in modern rugby the game plan is disproportionately important, and Jacques will have to get that right.
If you believe that Jacques will have a good plan then for you maybe the Boks have one hand on the trophy. FWIW that is what I think, but it is 100% based on a conviction that Jacques and Rassie have devised a smart strategy.
On the other hand NZ is on its way up. And the bookies think they will win. Either way it will be a fascinating game.