6 Areas the Springboks Improved to Beat the All Blacks

The Springboks’ 42-10 win over the All Blacks in Wellington in Round 4 of the Rugby Championship showcased a far more clinical performance from Rassie Erasmus’ men, highlighting that South African rugby still has a few more surprises in store. In contrast to the previous week’s performance, where the Boks lost 24-17, there was a stark difference, both in the way the team looked and played. But what exactly made such a notable change in fortune?

Willemse’s involvement

It’s hard not to start with the man of the moment. Damian Willemse got his shot at centre, a position he should always be playing. With Willemse, you have a player who has the skills of a flyhalf, the footwork of a fullback, and the size and power of an almost-100kg centre. It’s not a slight against De Allende at all, as he is still one of the Boks’ best ball-carriers, but Willemse offers a huge tactical advantage by being a dynamic playmaker in addition to being an attacking threat.

Willemse’s Swiss-Army Knife characteristics as a utility back have boded him well to be included in teams in recent years, but have also been his downfall, not earmarking him as a dedicated successor to a particular jersey. He can play straight and hard or loose and ambitious if he wants to, but his best ability is to play heads-up rugby: look for space or an opportunity and exploit it. You saw this with his attacking kicks behind the All Black defence, as well as spotting mismatches (such as his linebreak that led to Andre Esterhuizen’s try). Having him closer to the ball is invaluable to the future of the Springboks.

Jaco Peyper

One of the men in the backrooms making a huge impact is Jaco Peyper. It’s clear that the veteran referee has been guiding and assisting the coaching staff on what to target and Siya Kolisi on how to remain disciplined at the breakdown, as well as his on-field interactions with the ref. Kolisi was a lot more reserved with referee Nika Amashukeli, knowing that he was becoming impatient and irritable with the All Blacks’ constant complaints and shenanigans, such as the overzealous celebrations from Tupou Vaa’i.

A special mention must go to Amashukeli, who let the game flow, spoke excellently to both captains, was fair at the breakdown, and, most importantly, rugby incidents remain just exactly that: rugby incidents.

Breakdown

In the Eden Park test, the Springboks nullified one of their own strengths by playing too fast and ignoring the breakdown – an area they should be dominating. While rucking scenarios weren’t encouraged, they were welcomed, and the Bok enforcers made their presence known to any All Black player attempting a jackal or counter-ruck. Not only does this draw in defenders and open up space for attack, but it also exhausted the All Blacks, who then struggled ot get back into a defensive structure when the ball started moving around.

Lineout

Again, the Boks went back to the set-pieces that have always delivered the goods for them. The lineout functioned vastly better than the week prior, where RG Snyman’s laser-focus, Nortjie’s jumping ability, and the accuracy of Malcolm Marx’s throw-ins were on full display. While Snyman’s lineout leap is an amazing attribute of his, his ability to watch the other jumpers and contest (either by lifting or jumping himself) is second-to-none, resulting in a few stolen All Black lineouts.

Ball carrying

The Springboks being able to get over the gainline off first-phase is very important to the way South Africa plays. The reintroduction of Jasper Wiese following his ban was immense, as the ruthless No. 8 cannonballed himself into every All Black defender, always beating at least one or two players before going to ground. Add in RG Syman, Ox Nche, and Andre Esterhuizen in the latter stages of the game, and the Boks have a few players who can take the direct route with almost guaranteed success. Having that Springbok machine slowly rolling forward constantly gives the more agile players more and more time with the ball in-hand, allowing the likes of Kolbe, Fassi, and others to have an extra second to make a decision.

Kick-chase

Easily one of the most important assets in the Bok game plan is the kick-chase. Cobus Reinach was admittedly being bothered by the All Black forwards, but his box kicking was sharp and well-placed in terms of depth, allowing Canan Moodie, Aphelele Fassi, and other players to chase effectively and contest. Even if the All Blacks got the ball, it prevented them from having any running space to counter-attack quickly and slowed their game down immeasurably.

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