Official Match Preview : Qantas Wallabies vs Springboks
Life doesn’t get any easier for the Qantas Wallabies on Saturday night at Subiaco Oval in Perth.
Beaten by just a point in Sydney last Saturday night (19-18) by the All Blacks, on Saturday the Men of Gold face the world champion Springboks.
South Africa have won their last three on Tests on the trot, racking up a rare double against the All Blacks, and they arrive on Australian soil determined to add to their bulging trophy cabinet by claiming their first Bundaberg Rum Tri-Nations crown since Jake White led them to victory in 2004 in his first year in charge.
To ramp up the level of difficulty for the home side even more, their squad has a wounded look after a bruising encounter in Sydney with the All Blacks that saw form inside centre Berrick Barnes and dependable lock, and home town hero, Nathan Sharpe ruled out earlier in the week.
Thankfully flanker Rocky Elsom and young fullback James O’Connor have both recovered to be fit for Saturday's clash but settled is not a word you’d use for the Wallabies line up.
Indeed the Wallabies line up has a very experimental feel.
The versatile and ever reliable Adam Ashley-Cooper finds himself filling in for Barnes at No.12 to allow another local boy, outside centre Ryan Cross, to step up to the starting XV.
And Mark Chisholm, who hasn’t played a Test since he excelled on the end of season tour last year, finds himself thrown straight into Sharpe’s vacant No.5 jersey to face the most formidable lock combination in world rugby – the peerless Victor Matfield and the combative Bakkies Botha.
Ben Alexander gets his chance for Al Baxter at tighthead prop and the big Brumby will be keen to put last week’s last minute drop ball on the All Blacks line quickly out of his mind.
The Springboks, in very stark contrast, have a very regular feel about their line up – with only one personnel change in the 22 that humbled the Wallabies 29-17 in Cape Town three weeks ago.
And you could hardly class it as a negative.
IRB World Player of the Year in 2004, flanker Schalk Burger, eligible for selection once more after serving an eight week ban for an uncharacteristic eye gouge, comes back on to the bench in place of the injured Danie Rossouw.
You shudder to think the damage a rampaging Burger may do coming in to the game in the last twenty minutes.
With a player of the calibre of Burger sitting on the bench it’s a mark of just how formidable this Bok line up is but it’s not surprising coach Peter de Villiers has retained the find of the 2009 international season to date – 23-year-old Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Brussow - in the starting line up.
With his speed to the breakdown and strength on his feet, Brussow is giving his two opposing fetchers - All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and Wallabies captain George Smith – a real run for their money.
Perhaps the one surprise in the Boks line up is the elevation of Ruan Pienaar to the starting fullback spot in place of the multi-talented Francois Steyn, who drops to the bench.
Steyn has hardly done anything wrong in the Tri-Nations and deserves to hold his spot but the selection shows more about how highly De Villiers rates Pienaar.
The Bok coach was desperate to get Pienaar back into the starting XV but with scrumhalf Fourie Du Preez and flyhalf Morne Steyn performing so well the only option was fullback and so the unlucky Frans Steyn drops to the reserves.
Again Frans could have a huge impact coming on in the second half whether at fullback or in the centres.
And the news that South Africa were fined for their ‘armband’ protest against the suspension of Botha during the British and Irish Lions series victory will only put more fire in the belly of the visitors.
The Boks have also had three weeks rest from their last match whereas the Wallabies come to Perth straight from a torrid encounter with the All Blacks last week.
And experience is on the Boks side as well with all but three of their starting 15 having played 25 Tests or more.
Seven players have played 50 Tests with du Preez joining that club on Saturday night.
Even the venue for Saturday’s Test doesn’t look kindly on the Wallabies with the record evenly split from five matches played – two wins to the Wallabies, two to the Springboks and one draw.
The one glint in the favour of the Men of Gold is that the Wallabies have held the Nelson Mandela Plate, the prize on the line in annual Wallabies versus Springboks contests, ever since 2006.
And a Wallabies victory, although difficult, is not impossible.
But the one trap they must not fall into is playing the Springboks at their own game.
There is no one better in world Rugby at playing a high percentage, high kick and chase game as the South Africans.
It brought them a Rugby World Cup title in 2007, under the guidance of White and former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, and a Lions series victory a few months ago. And have no illusion the Lions team that the Boks beat was a very fine one indeed.
If the Wallabies belt the ball down the throat of du Preez and Morne Steyn – it will come raining back on them three fold.
And with Bryan Habana, the human leopard, chasing and contesting every ball with lightning speed and total commitment, life will become very difficult for the Wallabies back three.
What the Men of Gold need to do is keep the ball in hand, run the less mobile Boks forwards around and back themselves that if it turns into a contest of skill and speed – they have the ability to win it.
If the game becomes a tight, boot dominated arm wrestle it’s hard to see any team but the one in green winning it.
Last weekend was an ugly one for Australian sports fan – as we lost two famous trophies, the Bledisloe Cup and the Ashes, in the space of two days.
Let’s hope the Wallabies can put us back on track to more successful destinations this Saturday night.
To get your tickets for the Qantas Wallabies versus the Springboks click here
The Qantas Wallabies team to play South Africa in the Bundaberg Rum Tri Nations Series and Mandela Trophy Test at Subiaco Oval, Perth on Saturday 29 August, 6.05pm kick off (8.05pm, AEST), is:
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies),
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies),
4. James Horwill (Queensland Reds),
5. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies),
6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies),
7. George Smith (Brumbies, Captain),
8. Richard Brown (Western Force),
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs),
10. Matt Giteau (Western Force),
11. Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds),
12. Adam Ashley Cooper (Brumbies),
13. Ryan Cross (Western Force),
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs),
15. James O'Connor (Western Force),
Run on reserves:
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs),
17. Al Baxter (NSW Waratahs),
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs),
19. David Pocock (Western Force),
20. Will Genia (Queensland Reds),
21. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds),
22. Drew Mitchell (Western Force)
The Springbok team is (Test caps in brackets):
1 Tendai Mtawarira (16)
2 Bismarck du Plessis (27),
3 John Smit – Captain (87),
4 Bakkies Botha (60),
5 Victor Matfield (86),
6 Heinrich Brüssow (7),
7 Juan Smith (60),
8 Pierre Spies (25),
9 Fourie du Preez (49),
10 Morné Steyn (6),
11 Bryan Habana (51),
12 Jean de Villiers (51),
13 Jaque Fourie (48),
14 JP Pietersen (29),
15 Ruan Pienaar (33),
Reserves:
16 Chiliboy Ralepelle (6),
17 Jannie du Plessis (10),
18 Andries Bekker (17),
19 Schalk Burger (50),
20 Ricky Januarie (38),
21 Adi Jacobs (25),
22 Frans Steyn (33)
Match Details
Date: Saturday, August 29
Kick-off: 18.05 (20.05 AEST)
Venue: Subiaco Oval, Perth
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
http://rugby.com.au/news/article,133666.html
