John Smit says he, Os du Randt and Eddie Andrews had the beating of France in Durban last weekend. And who are we to doubt the Springbok skipper? He was right there in the middle, after all.
What is a little hard to swallow is that most of us watching the game could see quite clearly that this was patently not the case.
Had South Africa’s front row (and by definition its forward pack) dominated in the fashion Smit suggests, his side’s scrumhalf and flyhalf would have had the run of the park; sending the centres and wings on punishing runs through gaps a woodshed wide.
This certainly didn’t happen. So where exactly is the problem if it’s not to be found in the furnace? Is Smit saying that someone else wasn’t doing their job? Blame-shifting was something we got used to in the late 1990s; the Springboks — and their captain in particular — would do well to steer clear of it.
Impromptu spin-doctoring might shift the focus from one shortcoming, but is quick to show up another.
For this Saturday’s decider, the Springboks are faced with much the same situation they had last week.
That wily old campaigner Bernard Laporte has seen fit to trot an almost completely new team onto the paddock — including the colossal front three of Pieter de Villiers, William Servat and Sylvain Marconnet. If the Bok front rankers were under pressure in Durbs, they’re going to be oozing blood from the eyeballs in PE.
Both French props are strong, technically brilliant veterans and there’s no guessing why Laporte has let them out. If his wrecking crew from last week could disrupt the Boks so effectively, what’s going to stop them in PE?
Lawrence Sephaka, that’s what.
Sephaka is a loosehead who will be playing tighthead against a specialist loosehead who eats specialist tightheads for dinner and then snacks on the unwary flanker who ventures too close. Sephaka says he has been practising at tighthead for a while. That’s good — he should be nice and relaxed the moment his spine exits his armature.
Let’s all hope Sephaka proves the doubters wrong — because if he does, exciting things might very well happen.
Ricky Januarie was Jake White’s first choice scrumhalf at under-21 level, and a gifted player he certainly is. He’s well-rated by his peers, is a tigerish defender and his pass isn’t half-bad. Fourie du Preez played well last weekend, but made a couple of tactical mistakes; I wouldn’t read too much into his being replaced for this Test — its clear that White is keen on giving a Januarie a run against top-flight opposition (Uruguay are neither top-flight, nor opposition) to see just how sharp the Lions scrumhalf is after a long layoff.
His opposite on Saturday, Dmitri Yachvilli, is back in place of Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde – who I though was brilliant in Durban. Yachvilli’s said to be even better and the French skipper will doubtlessly have some questions to ask of Januarie.
Frederic Michalak is still at flyhalf and will again face-up to Jaco van der Westhuyzen in a case of the original AC Cobra meets the DIY-kit version. Van der Westhuyzen is good, Stephen Larkham is good and Carlos Spencer is good, but Michalak is something that comes along only when planets are aligned and time stands still. If he’s “on” on Saturday, there will be problems, grand problems. Just watch.
The Springbok game plan on Saturday is to slow things down and not play the French game. The question is, what French game are we referring to: The forward game at which the French excelled last week, or the backline game at which the French excelled last week?
Look at it from this perspective: If you can’t dominate in front, you can’t slow the game down, and the Springboks will have to be mighty persuasive if they’re going to steamroll the French forwards. Granted, there might be an edge among the Bok loose-forwards, but Albert Van Den Bergh — the size of whose heart bears no relation to the size of his body — is not the kind of lock to fight Gallic fire with.
Let’s also hope that Victor Matfield decides to turn up at the match on Saturday — his pedestrian performance in Durban was not what one would expect; especially with his current partner’s lack of real physical presence.
The Springbok backs will be hoping as much as everyone else that their forwards get down to the business of controlling the tempo of the match. Again, there are no real arguments about who should be there and who shouldn’t. I’m perfectly happy with De Wet Barry (although he was a little unobtrusive in Durban) and Marius Joubert seems to have shaken the shakes at last.
Both wingers are world-class and in Percy Montgomery, South Africa has a warhorse without compare. How this man finds it in his heart to keep on playing his guts out for an unsupportive and critical rugby public remains a mystery to me. Whatever his reasons, next time you see him on screen — raise your beer — because a player with integrity like Monty is a very rare thing indeed.
France have Yannick Jauzion at inside centre with Damien Traille operating on his outside — Jauzion was potent in Durban, and if Traille performs anything like Florian Fritz did last week, the punters in PE will leave a pleased lot. Cedric Heymans on the wing was a constant threat last week, but should be well-marked on Saturday. I wouldn’t bet much on him not scoring at least once, though. One-dimensionality is something French rugby breeds out very quickly.
So again, what happens in front in the first quarter of the Test will have a direct bearing on who leaves the pitch satisfied. For this fine French squad satisfaction doesn’t necessarily mean winning — their plan is to build and grow a side for the 2007 World Cup; and if a series win comes along, they will be more than happy to take it (and they will certainly deserve it).
The Boks, however, must win. The expectation they have created among themselves, and with the rugby public in general, leaves them with no other option.
A loss in PE will not be easy to digest, but the Springboks (and their supporters) must keep some things in mind: the side is young, it is missing key players in crucial positions and it, too, is building towards something bigger.
Be sure that the Springboks will be out to perform despite their handicaps, also know that not one of the current Boks does not deserve to be in the side. Giving these players a chance to gel and become an efficient fighting unit is enormously important — not only for the team’s morale, but also with an eye towards supporter satisfaction later in the year.
On Saturday I’m planning to delay gratification. I’m going to sit back, have a couple of beers and watch some thunderously good rugby. I suggest you do the same.
Forget about France, we can always beat the All Blacks later.