Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is pleased to have matched attacking skills with a lively France but rates next opponents South Africa as having the most confrontational forward pack in world rugby.
The Australians sparkled in a six tries-to-four crowd-pleasing win over France here on Saturday, but Jones said the Springboks were different to any other Test-playing nation.
The Wallabies played some thrilling expansive rugby in beating the French 37-31, but they face a mighty challenge in next Saturday’s Mandela Cup Test against Jake White’s Boks in Sydney.
”South Africa is a completely different kettle of fish to every other Test-playing nation, so we have to play well against South Africa,” Jones told reporters on Sunday before heading off to the Wallabies’ training camp in northern New South Wales.
”They defend in a very different way than the French, they attack in a much different way, they run through you, they don’t run around you.
”France had reasonable [defensive] line speed but they didn’t close from the outside, while South Africa close from the outside and we can’t play the same way against South Africa.
”South Africa beat France in the second Test in Port Elizabeth [27-13] by bludgeoning them at the point of contest, in the scrum, the lineout and tackle contest, so we know what’s in front of us … France was a good preparation for that.
”For the next two Tests against South Africa, they are going to be telling encounters.”
The Wallabies have not lost a home Test to South Africa since their 14-13 defeat in Perth in 1998. They will face the Springboks four times this year, twice for the Mandela Cup and in two Tri-Nations Tests.
The Springboks came from 7-3 down at half-time to vanquish the Wallabies 23-19 in Durban last August to claim the Tri-Nations’ title last year.
Jones has deep respect for what White has achieved with the Springboks.
”They play like a traditional South African pack and I think that’s the clever thing that Jake White has done, he’s restored the traditional values of South African rugby and added some smarts to it,” Jones said.
”South Africa are probably close to the most confrontational forward pack in Test rugby. They have a massive pack with Danie Rossouw and Schalk Burger in the backrow, they have great size, great strength and they have a great attitude.
”They have one of the foremost exponents of lineouts in the world with Victor Matfield, he’s absolutely outstanding in running a lineout, so they have not only that physical side but they have the tactical part of the game.”
Jones said White’s team is the strongest Springbok team since Nick Mallett led them undefeated through the 1998 Tri-Nations.
The Australian coach will have to decide whether to start with fit-again flanker Phil Waugh or continue to use Rocky Elsom.
”It’s a nice complication,” Jones said.
”Waugh is a first-class player. But whether he can start a game yet or play 80 minutes we’re not quite sure.” – Sapa-AFP