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Emirates Lions fans might remember Scott ‘Razor’ Robinson for his breakdancing after his Crusaders team destroyed local hopes in the 2017 Super Rugby final in Johannesburg. The man himself will probably have as fond memories of the KZN surf that he so enjoyed on what used to be frequent trips to South Africa as he will of the rugby.
Robertson’s regular pilgrimages to South Africa were halted after 2019, however, first by Covid, and then by the decision to remove local teams from Super Rugby and align them with the northern hemisphere competitions, primarily the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, instead.
So as he prepares to bring his All Blacks to South Africa in his new role as national coach, Robertson finds himself treading a path he is less used to than he was a few years back. Most of his players have more experience of playing in South Africa and against South Africans than he does.
However, there’s some truth in that old saying that absence can make the heart grow fonder, and reading through the New Zealand media on the eve of the tour, it appears that counts in this case for Robertson. After his team’s impressive bounce back 42-10 win over the Argentina Pumas in Auckland at the weekend, he spoke about how playing here brings out the excitement.
“They’re (the South Africans) just a different challenge. They’re set piece orientated, but can get you in some great kick battles and put pressure on you in different ways,” said the All Black coach.
“It’s a little bit different to playing in Lautoka (Fiji) or at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. There’s the highveld, there’s the conditions you encounter over there, there’s all those factors that come with it. You do miss it, because it’s a different challenge, but it’s an exciting one.”
BROWN ADDS AN ANGLE TO THE CHALLENGE
Robertson is aware that the Boks have been working on changing aspects of their game since the arrival of his countryman Tony Brown as their attack coach, but that has only added to his level of excitement ahead of the two games that will be played in Johannesburg on 31 August and Cape Town on 6 September.
“They’ve got a clear DNA, South Africa. They’ve been pretty innovative and have evolved really well in the last few games, so that’s the exciting part. You get to see enough of them in test footy, and you see how coach Rassie Erasmus’ mind works. He’s pretty special. They’ve got a great group there, so they are going to be two great test matches.”
The All Blacks will probably have to win both games if they are to challenge the Bok path to what would be only their second Rugby Championship title. -SuperSport.
Online Reporter