It’s a mystery why there are still quite a number of seats available for the first Test against France. The match in Durban will, after all, show whether this season’s Springbok can bring home the Tri-Nations title for the second year in a row.
We certainly don’t know much about the side that Bernard Laporte has brought over for the series ‒ only that they’re young, hungry and in some positions field the finest players around.
This, added to the usual mix of creative flair, physicality and downright love for a fight, guarantees that lovers of the blood-and-guts of rugby and also fans of its more subtle aspects will have more than enough to keep them occupied for eighty-odd minutes.
The Springbok side for Saturday’s true season opener is just about the strongest that can be fielded at this juncture and, apart from lock and outside centre, sports the finest player in each respective position.
At centre, Marius Joubert has no other option but to play a blinder. This is very possibly his last chance to shine after showing a pronounced loss of form in the Super 12. He also didn’t do enough against Uruguay in East London to change the perception that he’s performing at around 70% of capability. Should he do well on Saturday we’ll see him again next week, but a poor run could see him making way for Jean de Villiers ‒ a move that many agree might be the ticket.
Albert van den Bergh retains his position at lock, covering for the injured Bakkies Botha. Van den Bergh is honest grafter and deserves to play, but we’ll have to see if the French forwards treat him with respect ‒ and this is something only he will be able to persuade them of. Should things not go Van den Bergh’s way (and I do have a suspicion that they won’t) big Danie Rossouw will most likely take over.
Some argue that the Test will be decided at flyhalf. Let’s hope this isn’t the case. Frederic Michalak, mercurial in every sense, is without much doubt one of the world’s very finest number 10s. Skilled, quick, tactically brilliant and blessed with rare hands, he has the ability to turn champs into chumps at a blink. Behind the pin-up boy and underwear model image there lurks a monster ‒ neutralising it will, along with subduing the forward pack — be absolutely vital.
Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Michalak’s Springbok counterpart, is something different entirely. Give the man a poor pack and he’s as pedestrian and unimaginative as they come. The complete opposite is true on a day when his pack dominates and service comes quick and pretty. That’s pretty much true for any flyhalf, but Van der Westhuyzen appears to lose the plot completely when things start heading speedily down Crap Creek.
Which brings us to the forwards and the front row in particular.
The right shoulder will set the platform in this match. The side able to take control of the scrums has the keys to the city and you can bet your last Franc that it’s not going to be pretty. France have always played the forward game right at the edge of where acceptable ends and thuggery starts. This isn’t to say they’re dirty players, but rather that they understand how difficult it is to make important decisions with three fingers up your nose and a tight grip on your, erm.
The fellows Laporte has chosen for this crucial task are Sylvain Marconnet, Sebastien Bruno and Olivier Milloud, while South Africa’s Os du Randt, John Smit and Eddie Andrews are expected to give and take in kind.
Du Randt, we have learned, is well able to take care of himself and Smit is certainly not one to back down when the heat is on. Andrews is a different story and he might just be turned into a target -‒ both in the scrums and in the less formal exchanges. Let’s hope he manages both tasks with the same tenacity he has shown in establishing himself as a Springbok.
South Africa’s greatest advantage should be the breakdowns. Schalk Burger is a fine player and Rossouw and Jacques Cronje are forwards in the true Blue Bull tradition — expect them to have the upper hand over Julien Bonnaire, veteran Olivier Magne and exciting newcomer Yannick Nyanga -‒ should the tight five perform.
Those who know reckon Nyanga, replacing the fantastic Serge Betsen, to be a player to watch in a season or two – but don’t be surprised if he plays out of his skin on this tour.
Let’s go on the assumption that the forwards share the spoils evenly.
From scrumhalf to flyhalf we go and start entering the split-second world of centres and wings and fullbacks; here there’s enough talent on both sides to justify switching off the DSTV, giving the couch a rest and making the trip to King’s Park.
Jannick Jauzion and Florian Fritz are certain to give De Wet Barry and Joubert a workout, while Bryan Habana and De Villiers on the wings pack an enormous amount of clout. Conditions are perfect for champagne rugby ‒ let’s hope that the Boks can soak up the pressure in front, get Van der Westhuyzen going with clean ball and that Joubert’s gap-finder is set to 10.
Should it come together for the Springboks they will go into next week’s test sore and bruised but with the assurance they’ve passed the acid test for the season ahead.
Expect 80 minutes of rugby in all its guises and appreciate it completely- we don’t get to hear La Marseilles too often.