VIDEO: The Welsh 'banana peel' Boks must avoid
With the World Cup hype building up stupendously, the risk of being thrown off course is increasing substantially in the pre-tournament warm-up matches.
That distraction could be a very real threat to South Africa when they face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
Throw in the vastly superior Test cap numbers (read experience) for the Springboks, and you would be forgiven if you installed the visitors as favourites.
The bookmakers have heavily weighted their odds in favour of South Africa, giving them a 74 percent chance of winning – by a comfortable margin, of at least seven points.
Given that Wales coach Warren Gatland has opted to ‘build some depth’, making 13 changes from the side edged out (19-17) by England last week, Saturday’s match presents a final opportunity for players to impress the New Zealander before he names Wales’ 33-man squad for the World Cup in France this coming Monday.
This means Wales’ 480 Test caps (in the starting XV) is dwarfed by the 664 of a near full-strength Springbok team.
Nowhere is it more obvious than in the front row – where Elliot Dee (42 caps), sandwiched by rookies Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti, can muster just 44 international matches between them.
The Boks’ World Cup-winning front row of Frans Malherbe (61), Malcolm Marx (61) and Steven Kitshoff (74) all have more experience than the home team’s combined numbers.
It is a similar picture on the bench – where Sam Parry (six), Nicky Smith (43) and Henry Thomas (one) pale in comparison to the moxie of Bongi Mbonambi (60), Ox Nche (19) and Vincent Koch (45).
While the skills and background of the Boks must make them ‘favourites’, it also presents the World Cup champions with a potential banana peel.
Apart from the risk of ‘complacency’, there is the possible loss of focus with players obsessing over the looming World Cup title defence.
Star Springbok back Cheslin Kolbe played down the suggestion that the ‘World Cup distraction’ and complacency could be factors in Cardiff.
“Our main focus is [on] Wales and the game [against New Zealand] that follows [at Twickenham next week Friday],” he told @rugby365com, adding that Wales is an ‘important’ fixture building toward the global showpiece.
“We are not looking too far ahead, just what lies ahead this week – Wales.”
He admitted there has been a ‘buzz’ in the wider Bok squad since the announcement of the World Cup squad last week.
(WATCH as Springboks Ox Nche and Cheslin Kolbe talk about the biggest threats they face against Wales in a World Cup warm-up match in Cardiff on Saturday…)
“What is great this time round, is that we get to play more warm-up games [than 2019],” said Kolbe, who scored one of the two tries in the 32-12 demolition of England in the Final in Yokohama, in Japan, four years ago.
“It helps us to get good preparation leading into the World Cup.”
Replacement prop Ox Nche echoed similar sentiments, saying they will not be looking at the ‘lack’ of international experience of the Welsh props, because they have encountered them in the United Rugby Championship and are familiar with their capabilities.
“As much as people say they are inexperienced [at Test level], they have made a number of appearances for their regional teams and we should never underestimate that,” he said of their URC outings.
“They got called up to the Welsh team because there is something [quality] there and they are good enough to represent their country.
“Hopefully we can use our experience, but we are expecting a big challenge from them.”
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