Wallabies must be smart whilst muscling up to disrupt rampaging Springboks

The Rugby Championship has arrived, and the Wallabies are heading into their toughest challenge yet under Joe Schmidt, taking on South Africa in Brisbane on Saturday afternoon. 

The Aussies will be full of confidence after a clean sweep of their July Tests and despite South Africa drawing their series against Ireland at one apiece, the visitors are heavy favourites. 

Four-time world champions South Africa are the best in the world while Australia still sits down in ninth, painting a very ugly picture of what could eventuate at Suncorp stadium should Wallabies not be at their best. 

The Springboks’ Ireland series showed remain a side built on devastating physicality and ferocious line speed in defence and they are two aspects Australia will have to face and deal with head-on.  

Despite the Springboks’ oppressive game style Ireland found ways to offset their aggression and slice through the unrelenting wave of Springbok defenders. 

Ireland’s tactics provide a roadmap for Schmidt’s Wallabies. 

Had it been any other nation’s tactics then perhaps it wouldn’t work but considering Schmidt’s intimate knowledge of Ireland’s systems (having created a lot of them himself) he’ll be able to take what worked for the Irish and give it a Wallabies flavour. 

What the Irish used was the tip-pass amongst a pod of forwards. 

This basic tactic allowed Ireland to get a foothold in both games, the tactic even led to two tries. 

Although it’s more complicated than a simple tip-pass, the tactic uses the Boks’ rush defence system against themselves to generate quick recycle ball and prevent dominant hits in defence. 

It’s important to state two things from the outset: the Bok pack was not bigger than Ireland’s pack, nor will it be bigger than Australia’s, secondly, Australia will have to muscle-up, because although the Springboks may not be bigger, they hit unlike anyone that most of these players have faced in Super Rugby Pacific. 

Proof of the first statement is Australia’s starting pack weight throughout the July Tests was an average of 920kg, the Springboks weighed in at an average of 903kg. 

Weight alone will not be enough, what will be the difference is mental edge and resolve. 

This mental edge may be difficult for the Wallabies to handle for the entire 80, so devising a strategy to offset it could be the solution to ensure the backs receive clean, go-forward ball from a pack which are winning the little battles. 

It may also help keep the Wallabies’ historically high penalty count low. 

Therefore, the tip pass should be employed, it worked for Ireland in both games, it helped make metres, blunt the rush defence and ensured quick recycle. 

Inside Pass 1 G1 Ire v SA

Ireland deployed the tactic as early as the fifth minute in the first Test and got good pay out of it, but used it far more in the second Test, showing it was an element the Irish coaching staff identified as a winning tactic. 

The effectiveness of the tactic is unique to South Africa because their D-line is rarely well connected due to the speed at which it’s advancing and the relatively isolated nature of the eventual tackler. 

It should be noted beating this solitary tackler does not mean the attack has succeeded, the system accounts for a miss but should that miss expose another player’s mistake then the attack has gained an advantage. 

Take this next clip for example. 

Inside Tip Pass 1 G2 Ire v SA

The rush defender – Ox Nche is beaten by the tip pass and the would-be tacklers of Frans Malherbe and Franco Mostert are caught flat-footed, slipping off the tackle. 

Lumbering second rower Joe McCarthy runs a superb line and burst through for a 15m gainline run, eventually he’s brought down by excellent scramble defence by inside centre Damien de Allende. 

The miss from the leading defender is accounted for but the second mistake proves very costly for the Boks. 

Inisde Tip Pass 2 G2 Ire v SA

In this example Pieter Steph du Toit is the rush defender, after being beaten the eventual tackler – Siya Kolisi can’t get a square shot on ball carrier no.8 Caelen Doris which allows him to make 5-post-contact metres. 

What follows is what the Wallabies cannot afford.  

Doris is alone on the ground with James Ryan (in the black headgear) cleaning too far past the ruck and leaving halfback Connor Murray exposed.  

In its overall use, it’s a blueprint Australia can and should replicate. 

The Wallabies have many skilful forwards like Harry Wilson, Nick Frost, Matt Faessler, and even Taneila Tupou who have shown deft hands on several occasions. 

What makes or breaks this tactic as seen is the connectedness of the pod after the tip-pass has been made. 

The cleaner and sealer must be expecting the ball carrier to make the extra metres and must work hard to stay connected, otherwise South Africa will get pressure on the ball as seen earlier. 

South Africa are a complete team with big tacklers and pilfer threats across the park, the attacking breakdown work from Australia must be tireless and flawless or risk their own attack being stunted. 

This tactic is also particularly apt for the Wallabies having played most of their rugby off the halfback in the two Tests against Wales. 

Assuming Jake Gordon retains his starting position after having had two stellar games, this trend is bound to continue.  

Once the Wallabies draw nearer to the Springboks’ 22m the tactic can be deployed but Gordon must drive the standards. 

There will be nowhere to hide for the frontmen for the Wallabies in what is certain to be a brutal encounter, it will be abundantly clear who, if any of the players, are lacking fitness. 

The final thing to note is South Africa’s defence operates on an up-and-in policy, it rushes up hoping to push attacks back towards their burley lads around the ruck. 

Ironically, the Irish found the most space on the inside of the Springboks’ defence. 

Tip Pass try 1 G1 Ire v SA

Inisde Tip Pass try 2 G2 Ire v SA

Although these tries came from far more sophisticated pods than the regular ones, the Wallabies can still use this knowledge to their advantage.

Numbers around the ball carrier will be the difference maker in situations where half-breaks are made, which makes the sting of losing Fraser McReight all the keener.

Gordon must keep his folding forwards working on the inside because sooner or later the space will open, even Gordon himself could find himself in space, as he and Murray are very similar players in both build and playstyle.

The Wallabies are set for their most physical Test of perhaps the entire Rugby Championship on Saturday afternoon.

There’s no doubt the South Africans have the mental edge, as seen by the differing displays in the two Test series in July but the Wallabies are big enough to compete in the close quarters.

The tip pass is just one of the several tools the Wallabies will have to deploy to offset this edge, but Schmidt and his new batch of Wallabies are smart enough and are ready to work hard enough to take it to the World Champs on Saturday afternoon.