Springboks-All Blacks: Wet weather forecast for Cape Town Test
· The South African
The Springboks are set to face a test of their mental and physical fortitude this Saturday as they head into a must-win match against the All Blacks.
After being humbled at Ellis Park, another defeat would mean the hosts would also lose any chance of being able to win the four-match series.
Visit extonnews.click for more information.
Rassie Erasmus has made several changes to the matchday 23, perhaps most notably naming Handre Pollard to start at flyhalf after he was omitted from the squad last weekend.
Backing the experience, leadership and consistency of Pollard makes sense for a match of this magnitude, but it’s undoubtedly his overall kicking game that also weighed heavily in his favour.
Persistent rain is expected to fall in Cape Town from mid afternoon onwards on Saturday, and so plenty of contestable kicking can be expected.
Besides Pollard’s reliable out-of-hand kicking, his selection comes at a time when Cheslin Kolbe – who has been the primary goal kicker for the Springboks this season – has been ruled out with injury. Pollard will now take on this duty once again, and there is little doubt that he is the best place kicker that South Africa have.
“Handre has delivered for us under extreme pressure, and we feel that what he and Cobus (Reinach) have the potential to bring at the beginning of the game will be good for us this weekend, and then we have Morne (van den Berg) and Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) coming on later with their different styles of play,” Erasmus commented.
Springboks make calculated selections
Besides drafting Pollard into the team, it was also interesting to see Deon Fourie named in the squad not as a loose forward replacement, but as the solitary hooker substitute.
Although Malcolm Marx is expected to play the majority of the match, it would be a risk if he picks up an injury early on.
However, Erasmus has clearly banked on the experience and leadership Fourie can offer, as well as valuing his threat at the breakdown.
“There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us,” said the Bok coach.
“We’ll put in a lot of work this week to ensure that we are sharp in that regard this weekend because if we had used even some of those chances, the result could have been completely different.
“That said, we know New Zealand will be charged up after winning last week, and they will want to build on that. But the key for us will be to focus on our game and ensure that we are as effective as possible all around.”
The match kicks off at 17:10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 111, Won: 43, Lost: 64, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 866; Points against: 2 302; Tries scored: 182; Tries conceded: 253. Win %: 37,7%.