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Why the All Blacks will find the Springboks ‘hellishly hard to beat’
By Finn Morton
New Zealand commentator Tony Johnson has sung the Springboks’ praises, claiming the world champions will be “hellishly hard to beat” when they host the All Blacks in two highly-anticipated Tests.
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South Africa were a class above in their two matches against Australia as part of The Rugby Championship. The Springboks hadn’t won at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium since 2013 but that winless streak came to a triumphant end as they won 33-7 earlier this month.
While the Wallabies were eager to make amends for that disastrous performance in front of the Queensland faithful, it was a similar story out west seven days later. At Perth’s Optus Stadium, the Boks pulled away in the second half to win 30-12 on a wet night.
The Springboks sit atop The Rugby Championship standings with two bonus point victories from as many starts. New Zealand and Argentina have one win each after splitting their two-match series, and then of course Australia who are in desperate need of a win.
Before taking on the All Blacks in Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Springboks already appear to be a strong position to charge towards the title. Tony Johnson has even gone as far to say this is the best they’ve looked “in a long, long time.”
“After the first round we can come to the conclusion, very readily, that the Springboks are in a very, very strong position here,” Johnson said on SENZ’s Afternoons with Staffy.
“You could argue that this is as good as the Springboks have been in a long, long time. Watching them play against Australia, there’s that old saying about bringing a knife to a gunfight.
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“They just couldn’t make any dents on that Springboks team who seems to be bigger and more muscular now than they have ever been in their forwards and they’ve got some dazzling talent in their backs.
“With the help of Tony Brown, a man who I’ve made no bones about I really wanted to see in the All Blacks setup, they’re going to be hellishly hard to beat.
“Then you’ve got the All Blacks who bounced back well, but as Ardie Savea said himself, why do we have to turn on a lousy performance in order to get a really good one out of ourselves? But they were a lot better which is encouraging.
“I think the sign is there that keeping it simple might be the best way forward for this team. Don’t get too convoluted.”
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It’s highly likely that the Springboks two Tests against the All Blacks will go a long way to deciding who wins The Rugby Championship. New Zealand are the defending champions while South Africa are searching for their first TRC crown since 2019.
But Argentina will have a thing or two to say about that. If Los Pumas can claim a two-nil series sweep over the touring Wallabies, then there’s every chance the Argies could be in the mix to challenge for the crown later in the competition.
Los Pumas stunned the All Blacks in Wellington but they couldn’t repeat those heroics a week later at New Zealand’s rugby fortress, Eden Park. It was a one-sided contest from start to finish with the hosts running riot during the opening 40-minute period.
However, they’ve returned home with the confidence that comes with beating the All Blacks in Aotearoa. They’ll hope to build off that when they host the Wallabies in two intriguing clashes, with the first fixture kicking off next weekend.
“The Pumas, I think they’ll be happy to get a win in New Zealand. They couldn’t reproduce it in the second Test match and that was a little bit predictable, it’s something they haven’t really been able to do and it was Eden Park,” Johnson continued.
“Australia, I’m afraid, just look in an absolutely terrible state – they really did look second rate and they’ve got a lot of improving to do in a short space of time.”
The Springboks vs the All Blacks in the Ellis Park stadium is the closest thing we get to gladiatorial contests in today's world.
Just something about that stadium, that wall of noise that the players walk into and play with, it's something else.
SA are favourites here, whether they like it or not. Recent results between them point that way, TRC form points that way and the Bok camp stability also points that way. The fact SA will not underestimate the AB’s also points to ensuring things point to a 2-0 series.
Si you saying they will get a 2-0 series win but not underestimate them
the Bokkes never raised a sweat in Brisbane...met with a little resistance in Perth but they were just simply too big, too strong...anyway, whatever happens the AB's will give it their best shot knowing that their forward packs stability and cohesion determined the outcome in 2022... Jason will have trained the 2024 version forward pack to their full potential as they try to plot another repeat of that performance...and while all this is going on the Bokkes defence and attack screens will be all out doing their thing too, repelling and countering the AB's with interest..too close to call... Go the AB's...All in with Attitude at Altitude.....or Not...
Going to be huge. The Battle for third best rugby team in the world.
It's the best the thicko SH rugby supporters can hope for!
Wonder if they'll be counting on the incompetence of the refs againn to get victories they clearly don't deserve.
Now that’s just being plain mean.
Trolling again I see. If I was an Irish fan, I would make a personal visit, because every time you open your mouth, the stink just pollutes the Irish and turns the world fans against you. You don't help Ireland. You confirm everything bad that's ever been said about the Irish. You know where that is going to hurt the Irish even more? The "corrupt" refs as you call them. They are human and read social media. For years the Boks was done in by refs due to the attitudes. Now the Irish fans and the players it seems like is making it even worse. Remember this saying...Do unto others what you want others to do to you. Enjoy the pain. It's coming, no stopping it. Not only refs, but all staff gets tired by the abuse they receive from social media. The officials is a small community and they will talk and they will have their revenge their own way. Enjoy the pain big mouth. 🤣
Howzit naaitril. I see you're still butt hurt from the bollocking you received in the comments last time out 🤣 At least your copy & paste button still works...
Are you already down at the docks or will mommy be driving you & daddikins a bit later? Don't keep the sailors waiting!
Such insights from a hemisphere who have one paltry World Cup victory 21 years ago to show for it!
Always full of promise but getting knocked out when it really matters
In some cases no further than the quarter finals 😱
Yea who between them have won nine out of ten WC’s -clearly your grasp of the English language is about the same level as your vocabulary. “Why can’t the English teach their children how to speak? “
Thanks for your input Nigel. We can always rely on you for entering something new to the discussion.
Get back under the bridge where you belong!
Not real praise, just blowing smoke in the hope the Boks will take it to heart and underestimate the AB's, which would lead to a loss. Luckily the team the Boks takes the most serious, is the AB's. This rivalry is way too old and close for either team to think they can just run over the other team. There will be no complacency from either team. It will be bone crunching massive hits, attack will be dazzling and defences will be tough to crack. Don't expect a high score nor more than 7 points maximum full time. Due to how the Boks played and won since before the WC up to now, and since both tests is in SA, the Boks are the favorites unfortunately and we may not like it, but it is how people see it. For the teams, there will be no favorites or underdogs. They both believe they can win and they both know the smallest mistakes will cost them dearly. Both teams are very dangerous, exciting and the best at what they do. Both teams know how to play knock out rugby and win. The Boks isn't going to use these 2 tests to blood new talent. For the 1st time in a long time, they play to win the RC. Two Giants going at it full throttle. I really can't wait
In 10 tests going back to 2018 (the Rassie/Foster Era):
Matches won:
SA 4 - 5 ABs
(1 draw)
Total Points Scored:
SA 223 - 217 ABs
Highest Scoreline and Margin of defeat:
SA 35 - 7 ABs (Twickenham 2023)
Lowest Scoreline:
SA 12 - 11 NZ (RWC 2023)
Only two other games (Cape Town in 1970 and Wellington 1998) had lower score lines. 8-9 and 13-3 respectively, both to SA.
Average scoreline:
SA 22,3 - 21,7 ABs
🚩0,6 points difference over 10 games. Wow.
Home games won:
SA 1 - 1 ABs
Away games won:
SA 0 - 2 ABs (Loftus and Ellis Park)
Neutral venue games won:
SA 3 - 2 ABs
In the previous 10 matches between. SA and NZ - NZ won 9/10. 🤯
Let’s see how the Rassie / Razor era starts. While a 1-1 end result is a safe bet, my waters tell me the boks will win both. More convincingly at Eliis Park and then by a closer score at Cape Town.
If not - the Boks would have squandered their best chance yet of getting a leg up on the old Foe and beaten them 4 or more on the trot since 1949!
Suzie on call. 💩🤣
Anything can happen and we like it!
Yeah, we are not buying the favourite tag. It’ll be as always, a battle for 80 mins.
You don’t have to buy it
The Boks are overwhelming favourites