The fallout from last weekend’s fiery encounter between South Africa and Australia will hang over Carisbrook during Saturday’s Tri-Nations rugby union test between the Springboks and New Zealand.
Lock Ali Williams, who is the only surviving member of the tight five the All Blacks fielded in their last test outing against Australia two weeks ago, said on Thursday the new players up front were braced for a physical encounter.
Williams and other members of the All Black pack were eager on Thursday to play down suggestions the match will be anything more than hard and uncompromising — the sort of game that always occurs when the Springboks and All Blacks meet.
Nor do the All Black forwards expect their discipline to be under greater scrutiny as a result of the allegations of spitting, biting and eye-gouging against South Africa last week in Sydney.
”It’s the Springboks, of course it’s physical,” said Williams, who survived close scrutiny of his recent lineout form to hold his place in an otherwise changed tight five. ”That’s a strength of theirs so why would they go away from it?”
”They’ve got nothing to lose and everyone plays to their strength. The Springboks are physical and like that confrontational style but essentially we’re ready for them.”
Williams said the All Black tight five, which will include for the first time as a starting player rugby league star Brad Thorn, could match the Springboks’s confrontational style.
”I think guys like [props] Kees Meeuws and Carl Hoeft are pretty scary and with Brad Thorn we’ve got a bit of bulk there,” he said.
Hooker Mark Hammett, who along with Williams will face a searching examination of his lineout play Saturday, said the All Blacks would not be preoccupied by any threat of violence from South Africa.
”I don’t think that’s a factor,” Hammett said. ”I think that’s the sort of game plan they go in against the Aussies with and they always have.
”There aren’t many games you come out of in which you don’t receive a good punch in the mouth or something like that. It’s part of the game.”
The All Blacks have had two preoccupations in the week leading up to this match: the efficiency of their lineout and the public perception they will win this match by a monstrous score. New Zealand is poised to clinch the Tri-Nations title this weekend after beating South Africa 52-16 in their first meeting and Australia 50-21 two weeks ago.
Hammett said conditions at Dunedin’s ”House of Pain” for Saturday’s night encounter were likely to restrict flowing play.
He said the match would likely be tight and the score close. ”The problems the All Blacks have got now is that the public expect us to go out and win really well and win with a lot of points but the reality is that it probably won’t happen like that,” Hammett said.
‘We’re back in New Zealand, we’re not playing on dry pitches any more, we’ve got different conditions so the match should be a lot tighter.”
Hammett and Williams hope to preside this weekend over a shakeup of the All Blacks lineout. Even in their record win over Australia, New Zealand conceded six lineouts off their own throws, three when Australia were reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of Wendell Sailor.
The All Blacks go into the match with a new thrower in Hammett, a new jumper in Thorn and two new lifters in Meeuws and Hoeft. They have been forced to work hard this week to perfect that new combination.
”The lineout’s gone all right in training but I’ve played in lots of teams where you’ve had great trainings and it hasn’t gone right at the weekend,” Hammett said.
On Thursday, midfield back Gcobani Bobo was one of five changes named by South Africa. Craig Davidson, who started in the 29-9 loss to Australia in Brisbane last Saturday, has been dropped from the squad.
Neil de Kock comes onto the bench for his first test rugby this year, as does hooker Lucas van Biljon and uncapped prop Christo Bezuidenhout. The two changes to the starting forward pack are both forced due to the suspensions of lock Bakkie Botha and prop Robbie Kempson for illegal play against the Wallabies.
Bulls lock Geo Cronje will make his test debut while loosehead prop Lawrence Sephaka comes in for his 13th cap. Veteran halfback Joost van der Westhuizen will play his 85th test.
Teams:
New Zealand: Mils Muliaina, Doug Howlett, Tana Umaga, Aaron Mauger, Joe Rokocoko, Carlos Spencer, Justin Marshall, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah, Reuben Thorne (captain), Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Kees Meeuws, Mark Hammett, Carl Hoeft. Reserves: Leon MacDonald, Daniel Carter, Byron Kelleher, Rodney So’oialo, Chris Jack, Dave Hewett, Keven Mealamu.
South Africa: Thinus Delport, Stefan Terblanche, Jorrie Muller, Ashwin Willemse, Gcobani Bobo, Louis Koen, Joost van der Westhuizen, Juan Smith, Joe van Niekerk, Victor Matfield, Geo Cronje, Corne Krige (captain), Richard Bands, Danie Coetzee, Lawrence Sephaka. Reserves: Lucas van Biljon, Christo Bezuidenhout, Selborne Boome, Pedrie Wannenburg, Neil de Kock, De Wet Barry,Andre Pretorius. – Sapa-AP