The Springboks have made a visible attempt to improve their attacking play this year, but Lukhanyo Am has warned that the defence needs to be as sharp as ever to keep out the All Blacks in Saturday’s Rugby Championship blockbuster at Cape Town Stadium (5pm start).
The world champions had to rally back from 27-17 down in the second half to clinch a thrilling 31-27 victory at Ellis Park last weekend, with replacements Kwagga Smith and Grant Williams grabbing two late tries.
But in the opening 65 minutes, New Zealand were able to breach the Bok defence without much effort at times, despite some resolute passages of tackling from the hosts.
Three of the four All Black tries were scored too easily, and it’s something that Bok defence guru Jerry Flannery would have addressed this week to avoid a repeat at Cape Town Stadium.
Slick hands from the Kiwis in the 33rd minute led to wing Caleb Clarke’s first try, and the big No 11 scored a second touchdown in similar fashion following a line-out in the second half.
In-between, centre Jordie Barrett intercepted a pass from Bok No 12 Damian de Allende to captain Siya Kolisi and went all the way as well.
Those are almost ‘free points’ that the Boks gave away, which they can’t afford to concede again if they hope to emerge victorious this weekend.
Am could be in line for some game time on Saturday after missing out at Ellis Park. Coach Rassie Erasmus announces this team today, and as a midfield general, he is well aware of the importance of shutting out the opposition with organised defence.
“We know New Zealand are a skilful side, from one to 15. At times, us as defenders have to be smarter when we are not on structured D (defence),” the 30-year-old Sharks stalwart said yesterday.
“At times we are being challenged when we don’t have the right personnel in the defence lines. We will just have to make decisions when it comes to that.
“But on the flip side, our D has been really amazing this season, and over the years – and it’s given us a lot of turnover opportunities and putting teams under pressure.
“We will stick to what we’re good at and hopefully make better decisions. You can never write off New Zealand. They are a quality side and we know that this game will be even tougher.
“Playing teams back-to-back is even harder, as you get the pictures and they know what’s coming.
“It will definitely be more intense, and we do still back our prep we’ve done this week. We’ve trained really hard and we’ll just go out there and accept the challenge.”
There was some good news yesterday on the Bok injury front, as skipper Siya Kolisi participated in the training session at Cape Town Stadium, with the swelling on his cheek having gone down significantly.
Wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, though, is likely to miss out on Saturday’s clash as he sat on the sidelines at practice, having gone off with concussion at Ellis Park following a blow to the head in a tackle.
Canan Moodie, who was present at training, is a possible replacement for Arendse, although there are a number of different combinations available in the back three.
Erasmus has chopped and changed after almost every Test this year in a bid to grow squad depth, and Am – who hasn’t had much Bok game time in 2024 – is excited by the possibilities in selection.
“It’s not nice being out there when your heart is here, so I’m really happy to be here, and I’m just serving the team. The squad depth that we’ve built over the last couple of seasons has put us in a position where whoever gets selected, there is no doubt,” he said.
“We all back each other, and prep and train really well as a squad. It doesn’t really worry us as players – we just fulfil our roles, and I think it’s a quite good problem to have.
“It must be tough for the coaches in terms of selection, but as a squad we are in a really good place.
.@Springboks going through their paces during practice at Cape Town Stadium 🏉@CapeTimesSA @TheCapeArgus #Springboks #AllBlacks #RSAvNZL #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/gREdoA5Nj0
— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) September 4, 2024
“It’s really a good thing that we have in the squad. What we have is really special as a group, and it shows what we’ve been building and how much clarity each (player) has in his role.
“Making moves or shifting positions during games is not as stressful. Everyone is clear in their roles and what or where he might cover – it’s an easy slot for everyone.
“It’s really a good strength of ours, that we’re kind of versatile.
“It’s been really amazing also having the balance of the experienced older guys and youth that’s full of excitement and energy, it’s really good for the squad.
“It just shows the amount of talent we have in South Africa, and it’s really nice to see youngsters getting given the opportunity to display their talents. It’s really beautiful to watch.”