adminDURBAN. — All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says the 2013 Rugby Championship decider was one of the greatest rugby matches he was ever involved with, but although he dutifully spoke up his Springbok opponents, it is clear he is not expecting the same running game from them that his men had to contend with in Johannesburg three years ago.Although he did add the rejoinder that his team should be careful because the Boks could still hurt them with ball in hand, Hansen said that he expected the Bok style to differ markedly in the final Championship test in Durban tomorrow from what they tried to do in Christchurch three weeks ago.
“They have changed their personnel and that will change how they play,” said Hansen.
“With Morne at flyhalf, we can expect a kicking game from them. Morne will play from the box (pocket) and try to move us around the park. We will have to be on guard for drop goals. They have clearly gone back to a more traditional physical type battle.”
Hansen’s words differed a bit from those of assistant coach Ian Foster earlier in the week. Foster suggested that the Kiwis would not go into the game expecting a kicking game from the South Africans.
However, what may have changed that view was that as the week drew on, it became clearer that Bok coach Allister Coetzee was going to stick with the selection that worked from him at Loftus.
The All Blacks appear to have selected around their expectation too, for while Hansen explained the return of Waisake Naholo on the right wing in place of Julian Savea by saying it was to give Savea a rest, Naholo is much better at competing in the aerial battle than Savea is.
Of course, the All Blacks also have two fullbacks at the back in the form of Ben Smith, who will wear the No 15, and Israel Dagg, who lines up on the other wing, so the Kiwis do have the personnel to both deal with the Bok kicking game when it is accurate and the firepower to counter-attack with telling effect when it is not.
Although Steyn was the hero last week for kicking all the Bok points, the South African kicking game was nowhere near perfection.
Fullback Patrick Lambie understandably looked a little rusty, while Steyn’s punts often went into areas where a better team than the Wallabies, which the All Blacks are, would be able to exploit the waywardness.
In addition to lining so deep that he tends to take the players around him out of the game and thus limiting the South African attacking potential, the All Blacks may also recall that they have exploited Steyn’s defensive weaknesses in the flyhalf channel in the past.
With the Bok back-up flyhalf Lambie also playing a very different style to Steyn, as did Elton Jantjies, there is also a potential disconnect in what the Boks are capable of when the respective flyhalves are on the field that may have the Kiwis licking their lips.
What Hansen almost certainly won’t be anticipating this time is a repeat of the 2013 thriller, which was won 38-27 by the All Blacks after they were pushed until into the final quarter by a Bok team needing to win and score four tries in order to clinch the Rugby Championship.
“That game was close to the best test match I have been involved with. The Boks needed four tries and it was a real thriller. In most of the matches we’ve played here over the past few years there have been just a few points in it either way, so we do have a lot of respect for the Boks,” said Hansen.
Ironically, one of the things that could count against the All Blacks repeating their trend of burying the Boks in the last quarter this time is the scheduling of the match at a coastal venue rather than on the Highveld.
There again, there won’t be the altitude factor this time, and Hansen reckons that has made recovery this time much easier. — AFP.
Online Reporter