Bokke vs Wallabies: pride at stake

Last week, the Bok pack held its own against an All Black unit full of grunt, experience and guile. This afforded the halfbacks and loose forwards plenty of forward momentum and space to work with. We know they made less use of that last weekend than Uncle Bob does with the Zimbabwean Constitution, frittering possession and territory away like new money on a Vegas soiree. But let us move on.

What do we have against us next week? Robbie Deans and his swashbuckling band of bandits. The sharpest mind in southern hemisphere rugby allied to the kings of possession and percentage rugby. The Wallabies know at best they can match us up in the scrums. We have their measure in the line-outs. But the back row is where they have an advantage and you know Robbie Deans has geared them to make it stick. Watch George Smith snaffle anything that even smells of leather on Saturday with Wycliff Palu close by to bash his way over the gain line over and again. Watch them copy the All Blacks and smother our ball-carriers like black on Beast. As for Schalk, he’ll need to add some wit to his rampage on Saturday. The Wallabies know he’ll be hitting every ruck; they’ll just get there first and force him to play offside, thereby diverting the ref’s attention (Dear Lord, please let’s have a decent ref this time around, all we ask for is competence, not much really) from their underhanded ways at the tackle point.

Watch as well how they’ll use their stronger runners (Palu, Tuqiri, Mortlock) to carry the ball-up so as to suck in Bok defenders and offload to their pacey whippets to exploit the gaps like a shipload of desperate Russian brides and make it count. Simple this Aussie approach, but effective because of its cerebral quality. Play to your strengths and keep your opponents tackling and force penalties by starving them of the ball. Remember that chestnut about possession being nine tenths of the law? Australia made that a way of life. Insert own joke about convict colonies living by a law here.

So what should the Bokke do to counter? Actually that would be the wrong approach. We are playing at home and have a superior tight-five and (crucial) fetching deficiencies aside, our loose trio has nought to fear from them. That should mean a surfeit of front-foot ball and if Bismarck and Beast bash it up like they did last week, we should own the tight-loose. We should keep the Wallabies responding to us. But what is key will be how our halfbacks respond to the howler they had last week.

Butch has been retained to my and many others’ consternation. No point complaining about it; we should hope he plays himself back into form. He won’t have Matt Gitaeu or any deranged loose forward in his face (for the channel of the Butch is still for the brave and foolish) and Fourie knows how to protect a pivot so he should have all the space he needs to get the back line moving (forwards Butch, leave sideways to the steppers). This is your chance Butch; reclaim your legend. Fourie should not have two ‘mares in a row. I refuse to even entertain that thought. I still believe Ricky and Frans Steyn should have started but let’s back the coach here. Jake also had his wayward moments persisting with Jaco v/d Westhuyzen when he was clearly not up to it and he rectified his error in good time.

If the halfback pair gets their act right Jean should have the space and time to weave his magic and release the ace-angle runner outside him. Jongi will add enough gas and elusiveness to keep his marker occupied and on the back foot. JPP has come on in leaps and bounds since being recalled and Conrad will offer all of Percy’s reassuring steadiness at the back with added verve and gas.

Of course, that being said, we need to have a greater and more effective presence at the breakdown. I would have gone with Luke and Schalk in tandem with Juan here (Luke at No 8 as with the Cape Light Showers) and have Pierre Spies coming off the bench for second half impact, but either Pierre or Juan (or both?) will have to assume more burrowing duties and sacrifice time with ball in hand. At least for the first 60-odd minutes while the game stays tight-ish.

The key is at nine and ten. If they play at even 70% of their capability and the backs run with their heads up, we should win this comfortably.

Hands on heart, I predict a seven-point Bok win.