OWN CORRESPONDENT, Brisbane | Thursday 10.10am.
COACH Nick Mallett, denied six key players through injury, has gambled on a string of backline changes to bounce the Springboks back to form in Saturday’s Tri-Nation’s clash against Australia in Bisbane.
After last week’s humiliating 28-0 defeat to New Zealand in Dunedin, Mallett knew he had to act fast with the World Cup just three months away.
“We won’t be weaker,” Mallett said of the seven changes he made.
“We didn’t play rugby at all on Saturday (against the All Blacks) and it’s the first game under my coaching that we haven’t played rugby.
“That’s not going to happen on Saturday. We’re going to try and take them on in the forwards and we’re definitely going to keep the ball in hand and try and create some opportunities.”
But Mallett knows that without scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen, flyhalf Henry Honiball, No 8 and skipper Gary Teichmann, flankers Bobby Skinstad and Corne Krige and lock Mark Andrews he has a tough job on his hands.
Flanker Johan Erasmus will captain the Springboks for the injured Teichmann.
Mallett conceded the Wallabies held the aces in the backline, rating them better than New Zealand who can afford to leave winger Jonah Lomu on the bench.
Mallett has replace the inexperienced halfback pairing Dave von Hoesslin and Gaffie du Toit, a total failure against the All Blacks, with Werner Swanepoel and Braam Van Straaten in four backline changes.
Experienced winger Stefan Terblanche was recalled along with outside centre Robbie Fleck.
But the Springboks could be forced to make further changes in the backs with inside centre Japie Mulder battling injury, forcing Mallett to bracket him with Pieter Muller, who is also under a cloud.
The Springboks could be forced to move Fleck into the No 12 jersey with reserve Deon Kayser outside him in an untested midfield pairing against the powerful Wallaby combination of Nathan Grey and Daniel Herbert.
But Mallett said he was confident the Springboks could match the strong running Australian combination of fly-half Tim Horan, Grey, Herbert and world-class backs Matt Burke and Ben Tune.
“You make a grave mistake if you think you have to put size in there and that will stop it,” Mallett said.
“There’s nothing wrong with Japie Mulder’s defence at inside centre or Robbie Fleck at outside centre and certainly there’s nothing wrong with Braam Van Straaten’s defence and that’s mainly where we were breached on Saturday.” — AFP