Titanic battle ahead for Boks and Wallabies

I’m currently in Cape Town, and after getting through the frequent stop and goes along the N1, the town of Colesburg (home of an awesome Wimpy breakfast and many a speed camera) was where I and a friend spent the night. Whenever travelling through the Free State, the sheer expanse and flatness of the Highveld grasslands always strikes that cord of South African starkness, a very localised feeling. It boggles the imagination how humanity managed to exist in such an environment before the trappings of modern living made it just a little bit easier.

Perhaps such a landscape, and the other varied types that are scattered across the countryside, moulded the way South Africa approaches its rugby. Whenever a team faces the Springboks, no matter how poor they have been or how good they are, a hard-nosed approach is to be expected. Springbok teams in the professional era have varied in skill, but always play the game hard and direct. It’s staunch stuff, meant to intimidate and overwhelm, and judging by its success down the years against all opponents, South Africa are able to employ it as if drawn from muscle memory.

This World Cup is again proving that style over substance is in the minority of the rugby powers’ world view, with only Australia, New Zealand and Wales playing in a manner which bulges the eye of those who like a quicker, running-orientated game. All three have progressed to the quarter-finals, as expected, but Ireland threw cold water over most predictions by beating the Wallabies at Eden Park in an absorbing encounter. It was gutsy stuff, and considering how England and France have gone this tournament, the Irish are the European standard bearers of the tight approach so widely known across our republic.

Now, with Australia and South Africa set to meet in the last eight, style versus substance comes into full focus. Ireland versus Wales is another test lab to produce an answer, but the Southern Hemisphere heavyweights appear to be the match of the weekend. The Springboks have lost five of the last six matches against the Wallabies, but considering the off-once nature of the tie, form counts for little as the Irish showed a few weeks ago.

Frans Steyn’s injury is a blow to South Africa’s chances. The Springboks will miss his ability to kick over penalties from 60m, along with his creativity and physical presence. Jean de Villiers is the best replacement you can ask for (and he finally gets to play in a World Cup knock-out match), but more than his kicking, the psychological effect of playing against Steyn will be sorely missed. Australia lost Drew Mitchell against Russia, but with Digby Ioane set to return this week, Mitchell wouldn’t have been in the starting XV anyway. David Pocock’s return has shown how important he is to Australia’s cause, with his encounter against Heinrich Brussow being one of the deciding factors this coming Saturday.

Australia haven’t hit top gear while South Africa appear to be on some intensity ration, given how they only push themselves to get ahead, and then back themselves to defend their lead. In the Springboks’ two toughest games, against Samoa and Wales, that was the recipe that got them over the line, sheer belligerence at its best. Fiji and Namibia didn’t have a way past the Springboks structure and power, but better-organised opponents have shown that the Springboks aren’t a team that will run you off your feet, rather using pressure, defence and an accurate boot as a means of distinguishing themselves from their opponent. It worked four years ago, so why not now?

Dan Carter’s injury hasn’t mortally wounded New Zealand’s chances. Their collective quality is still more than enough to take them to the final against European opposition, but their task has been made that little (maybe a lot) harder. South Africa and Australia would both think they had an even chance of winning with Carter missing, so expect a rather titanic match that will be very close. If there is a blow-out, South Africa are going to be the ones on the receiving end. That’s if the Wallabies hit their mark like they did against New Zealand at the end of the Tri-Nations.

You got to love World Cup rugby.