Ambitious Boks can beat All Blacks at their own game

OPINION: Rassie Erasmus’ brave yet necessary selections point to a more expansive approach in the Freedom Cup series opener against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Since the dawn of the professional era, the rivalry between New Zealand and South Africa has been packaged as a clash of styles.

The All Blacks run the ball and the Boks try to stop them.

Attack versus defence; pace versus power; creation versus destruction.

Former players and coaches will tell you that this narrative is a gross oversimplification – given the strength and tenacity of some of the great All Blacks teams, and indeed, the skill and ambition of South Africa’s best players.

But for much of the 103-year rivalry, the teams have been represented as diametrically opposed.

Until now.

Now the Bok coach is picking a team with the potential to run the All Blacks off their feet, and relatively few critics are calling it a recipe for disaster.

Aphelele Fassi, Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse comprise one of the most attacking Bok back-three combinations of the professional era.

The explosive Cobus Reinach will start at No.9, alongside rookie No.10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, whose quick hands and feet are ideally suited to a high-tempo approach.

There’s certainly no shortage of mongrel up front, with Jasper Wiese returning from suspension and reclaiming his place at No.8.

The Boks still boast two world-class front rows in the matchday 23, but what’s interesting to note is the number of loose forwards in the squad.

Wiese will start alongside Siya Kolisi and Ben-Jason Dixon in the back row.

On the bench, the Boks boast three more loose forwards in Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith and Elrigh Louw.

Pieter-Steph du Toit – who started his career at lock but has proved a key player for the Boks at blindside flank since 2018 – has been moved into the second row to offset the absence of several experienced players.

The rangy Ruan Nortje will start at No.5.

All of the aforementioned loose forwards are known for their workrate.

If they win the race to the ruck this Saturday, Reinach will recycle the ball in under three seconds and Feinberg-Mngomezulu will run at a compromised All Blacks defence.

Injuries have forced Erasmus’ hand ahead of the series-opener at Ellis Park – but would his tactical approach have differed if all of his World Cup winners were fit and available?

Lood de Jager, Jean Kleyn and Salmaan Moerat may have added some power to the Bok scrum and another dimension to the line-out and maul.

Eben Etzebeth – who may yet recover to play this Saturday – Franco Mostert and RG Snyman are excellent set-piece exponents, but also have the work-rate and the skill-set to amplify a more attacking approach.

The question around the approach is particularly relevant given the changes we’ve witnessed since former All Blacks flyhalf Tony Brown joined the Bok coaching team ahead of the 2024 Test season.

The appointment wasn’t universally celebrated in South African rugby circles, and given the stereotypes around this long-running rivalry, you can understand why.

The Boks, the doubters said, will never play attacking rugby like the All Blacks.

Some conspiracy theorists went as far as to suggest that Brown would depower the Boks, taking them away from their traditional set-piece and kicking strengths, and leaving them vulnerable to other leading nations.

Six matches into the season, however, and the Boks appear to be progressing towards an all-court game.

They still have the means to win scrum penalties (as they did against Wales), to score tries via the rolling maul (against Australia), and to keep opponents in check via their bruising defence.

Since Brown’s arrival, they’ve started to look for space and develop their attack, to the point where they can score nine tries on a two-match tour of Australia – a largely unhappy hunting ground for South Africa during the professional era.

Should they push forward with this approach as a double-header against New Zealand looms, or should they try and grind the All Blacks into submission, as they have done with varying degrees of success in the past?

Erasmus’s selections for the Test at Ellis Park – a venue suited to running rugby – have provided an answer.

They will go into the next Test with the means to win the scrum battle, although the absence of key players may hamper their chances at the line-out and maul. The All Blacks will also be without Patrick Tuipulotu in this area, and are still coming to terms with the retirements of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock.

Rather than kick to a back three that may include counter-attacking threats like Mark Tele’a, Will Jordan and Beauden Barrett, the Boks may endeavour to keep more ball in hand.

The territory battle will shape the contest and accurate kicking will be paramount, but it’s worth noting how versatile the Boks have been since Brown joined the coaching ranks.

They’re looking for the counter-attacking option, and more often than not, they’re making good decisions and putting team-mates into space.

A lot of people have dismissed the recent results in Australia, given the decline of the Wallabies. Everyone is expecting a tougher challenge against the All Blacks.

Scott Robertson’s side has yet to make a statement, though, after claiming two narrow wins against England in July, and mixed results against Argentina in the Rugby Championship.

Erasmus would have noted an interesting stat from the All Blacks’ defeat to the Pumas in Wellington. The hosts conceded 38 points on home soil for the first time.

The All Blacks defence has had its issues and may be susceptible on the highveld this weekend. In the past, New Zealand would have known what to expect, but this Bok outfit will pose threats across the park.

There is an element of risk in Erasmus’ selections, and to be fair, some of them are forced.

At the same time, it’s clear that the coach is pushing the players to evolve.

@rugby365com

* Picture credit: @Springboks