The rugby-loving public has been downcast following the Springboks’ woeful performance in the first Test against Scotland that somehow resulted in a 29-25 win. It was a victory South Africa did not deserve and so, while the big boys scratch their heads and try and come up with a remedy, those in search of an
answer might be well advised to cast their attention to the lush fields of Oxfordshire this weekend.
The future of South Africa’s rugby, in the form of the national under-21s, will step on to the impossibly green Iffley Road pitch to start the defence of their International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-21 world title against Ireland. It was a title they so magically won on home soil 12 months ago and the gallant Irish present the first challenge to defending the crown. This time around,instead of being seeded out of the top five as they were in 2002, the Baby Boks will have to perform under the burden of being the number one seeds.
”I don’t think we are under any more or any less pressure because we are the defending champions,” coach Jake White said shortly before the team departed. ”When you coach any national team in South Africa there is pressure because people expect to win, there is no escape whether you are home, away, underdogs or favourites. It doesn’t matter.”
Eugene Eloff, who coached the South Africa under-19s that won their World Cup earlier this year, had this to say: ”You know when you are champions the guys are going to come at you 10 times harder, but they have been well prepared and Jake is a very good coach who knows the game and works hard. He has the ability to make them fire and that is the big trick — getting the guys to play for each other and with each other.
”I’ll tell you why under-21 rugby, specifically the under-21 World Cup, is so important. It is the next best level of competition behind Super 12. Playing provincial rugby or even under-23 rugby is not as fierce.”
This is the second instalment of the under-21 World Cup, which was successfully hosted by South Africa in Johannesburg last June. The standard of rugby at the tournament, especially from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was of a staggeringly high quality.
The three southern hemisphere sides dominated the event, completing the top three places with ease. South Africa captured the crown with a 24-21 win over Australia in the final, which followed a pulsating and brutally physical one-point semi-final win over the New Zealand Colts.
Although it is difficult to assess the various strengths of teams that are restricted by age until they have actually played against each other, it would not be remiss to argue that the same three teams will set the standard over the next 16 days in this beautiful, ancient university town.
That assessment is based simply on how many players from the Tri-
Nations teams have been exposed to top-level rugby and how many will be returning for another shot at winning the World Cup. South Africa’s team includes six players who have played in this season’s Super 12 and two others who have starred for the SA Sevens team.
New Zealand have five players who were involved in the Super 12, but that number could have been significantly higher had All Black coach John Mitchell not included Dan Carter, Joe Rokocoko and Ma’a Nonu in his first Test squad of the year, much to the relief of all the coaches at this tournament.
But the Colts still present a formidable force led by brilliant Blues centre Sam Tuitipou, who was one of the stars of the their campaign last year. There are many unknown names among their 26 as well, but it’s certain that by the end of the tournament, many of those players will be drafted into various Super 12 franchises for next year.
Australia fields a whopping 10 players who had a run in Super 12 2003, although that statistic is as much an indication of the small player base from which they have to choose as it is of the talent of the players. But they will be well drilled, skilful and far more patient than any of their opponents, because what the Australians may lack in pure talent, they more than make up for through preparation and training.
Match day three sees the two great antipodean rivals meet in a game that could ultimately determine their road to the final. The loser is seeded to play South Africa in the semifinal, while the winner is seeded to meet Wales — the recently crowned Six Nations champions at under-21 level — in the other semifinal.
Naturally there are many variables and the possibility that a shock loss
for South Africa, who also play against Canada and Wales in their second and third matches on June 17 and 21 respectively, could upset the course of events.
”I’m banking on things going the way I envisage them,” White admitted. ”The perfect situation is that we beat Ireland, Canada and Wales. We use our reserves against Canada and save the first team for Wales.
”Hopefully we will have the Welsh game wrapped up early enough to pull some of the guys off and then give them a rest.
”In the final group game Australia play New Zealand and smash each other up because the winner will probably play Wales or France in the semifinal while
the loser must play us.
”Our semifinal opposition will be battered from that encounter and we win. Of course the final is like a toss of a coin because we will have had a tough semifinal and our opponents might not have.
”I’d rather play New Zealand in the final and Australia in the semifinal. But this is only my perfect vision in my head.”
Some might say that it is churlish for a coach to be dreaming up scenarios so far ahead. Some would prefer the inane comment of ”we are taking it one game at a time”, but that it not how this side prepared.
White pulled out his playbook and excitedly ran through some of the moves explaining that his players knew exactly what would happen at sixth and seventh phase after they had executed a certain call at a lineout or scrum. It is that kind of planning that wins world cups.