Bok coach dissects Wallabies and All Blacks
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber says the Wallabies and All Blacks’ ability to vary their play will pose a big challenge for his team in the remainder of the Rugby Championship.
The Springboks, who are currently in quarantine in Queensland, will face the Wallabies on September 12 and 18 – before matches against the All Blacks on September 25 and October 2.
Nienaber’s side is currently on top of the standings on nine points after their two wins over Argentina in Gqeberha.
The All Blacks, who are in second place on five points, will face the Wallabies in their rearranged Round Two fixture in Perth on Sunday. The game doubles up as the final Bledisloe Cup outing, although the Kiwis have retained the trophy for the 19th straight year – after taking an unassailable two-nil lead.
“It’s going to be different,” said Nienaber.
“If you look at Australia and New Zealand, I think there is a lot of similarities in the way they play.
“It’s a lot more open, fast with a continuity type of style.
“They are chasing big ‘ball in play’ minutes.
“I think it will be very similar to what we saw when the British and Irish Lions played against our franchise teams – keeping it alive and running it.
“They are quality sides with quality coaches, so I think if it is on, they will play it and it doesn’t matter where it is on the field.
“If it is not on and they got slow ball, they would play percentages and I think that is going to be the challenge of those four Test matches.
“It will be proper Test matches in the sense that if they want to open it up, they will open it up, but if it is not on to play then they will play a territory game.”
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No Super Rugby
In previous years, the Springboks would head into the Rugby Championship after a long Super Rugby campaign where they were up against players they would meet later on the Test stage.
South Africa’s teams are not involved in Super Rugby anymore and Nienaber believes that will not play a big role in their performances against the Wallabies and All Blacks.
“We haven’t played against them, so you haven’t been exposed to the individual player.
“But Super Rugby is different to Test match rugby and we saw it.
“The last time we had Super Rugby and a Rugby Championship was 2019 and the Jaguares and the Crusaders played in the Final.
“I don’t think one of our teams got to a semifinal, but we still went on to win a Rugby Championship,” Nienaber added.
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