Major Test matches come around so often these days, that it is easy to allow one to slip unremarked into another. But when the Springboks play the All Blacks, the world tends to slow down and this week in Durban was a time for reflection.
The last two Tests between these sides at King’s Park were memorable for entirely contrasting reasons.
In 2002, New Zealand won 30-23, but most rugby followers would be hard-pressed to recall the score. What they could tell you is that a portly fellow from Potchefstroom, by the name of Piet van Zyl, entered the halls of ignominy by trundling onto the field and assaulting Irish referee Dave McHugh. This was one of the few recorded instances of the fan hitting the shit.
Afterwards, peering myopically through the bars of the prison van, Van Zyl was entirely unperturbed, stressing that he had merely put into action what the majority of the crowd had been thinking at the time. McHugh had turned down what seemed to be a perfectly good Springbok try, but the best team won in the end and the best tackle made by a Springbok was AJ Venter’s on Van Zyl.
In 1998, the year that South Africa won the Tri-Nations for the first time, Nick Mallett’s side was in the process of writing its name into the history books. The game against New Zealand at King’s Park ended as win number 13 in the famous 17-match streak, but for most of the game’s duration, it seemed that the streak would end at 12.
In the final quarter, the All Blacks led 23-7, the game seemed to be done and dusted, but the Springbok players had other ideas.
First there was a moment of typical Joost van der Westhuizen magic as the scrumhalf stepped through a crowd of defenders to score.
Then a surge led by Bob Skinstad ended with James Dalton claiming what turned out to be the winning try. To this day, Dalton is certain he scored, although video and photographic evidence suggests otherwise.
Both games have reference to this Saturday’s encounter. Once again the referee will be an Irishman — Allain Roland on this occasion. This time around, the Springbok unbeaten run stands at five, but far more important to the overall scheme of things is that, last week, they found a way to win against doughty opponents when all seemed lost.
That’s the mark of good teams, and despite the injury-enforced changes for this week’s game and the fact that they were well below their best for long periods against Australia in Cape Town, this is a very good Springbok team indeed.
After the fraught, politically charged build-up to last week’s game, there is no doubt that coach Jake White inhabits a much better space right now thanks to that win.
There are those who would beat him with the stick called Luke Watson, pointing out that he tends to allow differences of opinion to get personal. Those critics might like to consider the fact that Gary Botha begins a Test match for the first time this week and that the captain of the side will be Victor Matfield.
When White first assumed the coaching reins from Rudolph Straeuli, he seemed to have something against Botha. Week in and week out, the Bulls hooker was the best player in his position in the country, but he couldn’t crack White’s squad because the Springbok captain, John Smit, played the same position and Hanyani Shimange earned the nickname ”Splinters” by travelling the world as Smit’s understudy.
It has taken four years for Botha’s chance to arrive, during which time he has earned a total of five caps, all as a replacement for Smit. Last week when he came on in the 10th minute at Newlands, he got more game time than his previous four caps combined. He would be less than human if he did not approach Saturday’s game feeling as though he has a point to prove.
It might be supposed that Matfield proved his own point long ago, but it is only a couple of years since he was sent home from a Tri-Nations tour after disagreements with the management and coach. The official smokescreen, that Matfield was injured, was dispelled when he turned out for the Bulls a few days later.
When the Boks returned, White travelled to Pretoria to discuss the issues. The coach was not happy, but to prove that he does not bear a grudge, this week Matfield becomes the 52nd Springbok captain.
”I think he’s grown as a person and as a player since then,” says White. ”He’s also got a lot more captaincy experience, and this year he led the Bulls to a semifinal win against Richie McCaw and the Crusaders.”
White has also grown during his time in charge and, despite everything that has happened to him this year, he remains a fine coach and a great analyst. If Saturday goes according to plan, he might even be emboldened to try something utterly mad.
All Black coach Graham Henry began the season by withholding his 22 top players from the first seven weeks of the Super 14. Might White be thinking of resting his elite group from the last fortnight of the Tri-Nations, slightly more than seven weeks ahead of the World Cup?