Rennie on how ‘wounded Springboks' will approach second RGR Test
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie expects the Springboks to double down on their set-piece approach in the second Test of the Greatest Rivalry series in Cape Town on Saturday.
The Boks, who suffered a shock 16-33 defeat in the opening Test at Ellis Park last Saturday, will be out to overturn that result and level the series at 1-1.
Rassie Erasmus has named a strong side, with Pieter-Steph du Toit set to reach 100 caps for the world champions while Ox Nche will make his 50th appearance in green and gold.
Captain Siya Kolisi is still a doubt, but should he be fit, the Springbok starting line-up will boast 1012 Test caps, the highest ever fielded by a South African side.
Rennie will only name his matchday squad on Thursday, and although the All Blacks will head to Cape Town brimming with confidence, the coach is adamant they will need to improve.
*Article continues below…
“I think it’s important we don’t get carried away with it,” he said when asked about winning the first Test.
“We’ve almost got to reset and look forward. We’ll take a lot from the game, though; I thought our leaders did a very good job of managing various situations.
“We had a lot of key moments both in defence and attack; we’ve learnt a lot about ourselves, and I reckon we’ll be better this weekend, and I think South Africa will be too.”
*READ: Tuipulotu highlights threats ‘rangy’ Lions could pose for All Blacks
Rennie admitted that this particular week of the tour would be the most challenging.
On Tuesday, the All Blacks face the Lions at Ellis Park before flying out for Cape Town the following morning.
It’s been a juggling act, managing a wider squad, preparing for the Lions while keeping a close eye on the Boks.
“We’re pretty busy this week,” he said.
“From a coaching point of view, we’ve all been on the computers trying to get all the review stuff and key learnings.
“One advantage when you play the same team multiple times in a row is that your review is your preview, so we’ll try and utilise that time.
“There’s not a lot of downtime for the players this week, and we’re mindful that a wounded Springbok is dangerous and so we’re going to have to prepare very well and lift our game.”
Erasmus has named a heavy forward pack with the intention of dominating the scrums and causing trouble for New Zealand upfront.
With wet conditions expected in Cape Town, Pollard’s tactical kicking could prove particularly valuable if the Boks look to utilise their aerial game.
Rennie expects the Springboks to stay true to their strengths.
“I think they’ll double down.
“They’ll probably feel they had the edge at scrum time, and in the aerial contest, again, they’re very good in that area.
“They probably made a few errors, uncharacteristically; I think they’ll double down on that and try to do it better.
“They’ve got amazing depth here; if they’ve lost a couple of players, they’ve got plenty of guys that can fill in.”
