The Boks and All Blacks have simply accomplished two blockbuster head-to-head battles in the Rugby Championship, which resulted in contrasting fortunes.
In the opening recreation, the Springboks overpowered New Zealand virtually from start to complete, and got here away with a powerful victory.
Yet, only a week later the guests produced a much-improved exhibiting, and handled the Boks’ set-pieces and aerial recreation much better. In the tip, the All Blacks bounced again to say a convincing victory of their very own.
One of the speaking factors in the final recreation was the choice determination at hooker, with coach Jacques Nienaber having defended his determination to start inexperienced hooker Joseph Dweba in the 35-23 defeat in opposition to New Zealand, saying “there’s always a reason” for each choice.
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Dweba, who was chosen in place of Bongi Mbonambi after the latter took a knock in coaching, struggled along with his self-discipline and accuracy from the opening whistle, which allowed the All Blacks to take full benefit and achieve a foothold in the match.
Malcolm Marx was rushed onto the sector after half-hour, however many felt he ought to have began the sport, significantly after his very good efficiency in the No 2 jersey in Mbombela the week earlier than.
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Jacques Nienaber stated there was a transparent motive for the choice to start Dweba, even when he didn’t wish to reveal what it was.
In his column for Sport24, former Boks coach Nick Mallett stated he felt this choice determination was an error that the South African administration made.
Before the sport, I didn’t hear many commentators saying both choice was a obvious error, although there have been a couple of discussing beginning Malcolm Marx after such a giant efficiency in Mbombela the week earlier than.
Bongi Mbonambi’s harm threw all the things up in the air as a result of he has been the starter and Marx the finisher proper from World Cup 2019. It was a banana peel for the teaching employees, however I disagree with their views on Marx.
I suppose he is an excellent hooker, and I would start him in most games. I can perceive why they would need him to come back off the bench – they provide him 40 minutes just about each week, anyway – however I nonetheless suppose there’s extra worth in him hitting the opposition laborious from the primary whistle.
You can justify beginning Mbonambi – he has been very good there and letting him empty the tank earlier than turning to Marx is the blueprint that has labored for the Boks – however I really feel that it was too massive a recreation for Dweba to start in opposition to the All Blacks, particularly when you think about that he struggled in opposition to Wales and that he hasn’t been a beginning participant for Bordeaux in France.
Going from being a alternative participant at his membership to beginning in opposition to New Zealand is a large step up, and I suppose, on condition that inexperience, it was the improper name.
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Meanwhile, Mallett has additionally said his perception that the Springboks ought to transfer away from the much-used six-two forwards-to-backs cut up on the bench.
“The real issue facing this team presently, I think, is the 6/2 bench split that has landed the Boks in trouble for three straight Tests now,” he wrote. “It’s a real problem when you have to make virtually three changes to your backline when one player gets injured.
“If you get a wing going off early, as Jesse Kriel did on Saturday, you suddenly have to make a lot of changes. We saw Damian Willemse go to inside centre, Damian de Allende to outside centre and, even worse, Lukhanyo Am moved to the wing after Kriel left the fray. That is a lot of reshuffling.
“I don’t care how well Am played on the wing. You’ve got the best No 13 in the world – both on attack and defence – and he is invaluable in terms of closing down options and shutting down space in midfield.
“Willemse is playing so well at the moment and could easily slot into inside centre, which he did, but I think the more sensible play would have been to move De Allende – and not Am – to the wing, where he started his career. That keeps your critical defender in his proper position.
“Am had an excellent game and can obviously do a job on the wing, but I don’t think De Allende had a very good game at outside centre where he has less experience. His understanding of running up and closing space wasn’t as good as Am’s, which was to be expected.
“The big issue with the 6/2 split in its present form is how it impacts the defensive alignment of the Springbok backline. The attack was fine, and they scored two very good tries, but the Boks were nowhere near where they should be defensively.
“Willemse was one of the best centres in the United Rugby Championship, and his tackling and reading of the game were standout features. I don’t think the Boks would have lost anything, defensively, if they had paired him with Am in midfield.
“These things are easy to say in hindsight, but the Dweba performance could have predicted given what we saw against Wales and knowing how well New Zealand can compete on the lineout.
“The mistakes the Boks made early in the game were down to hooker mistakes, putting them under pressure and taking away any early momentum. I think that is an area they will need to relook, heading into their two Tests against the Wallabies.”
BOKS TOURING SQUAD:
Props
Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers)
Vincent Koch (Wasps)
Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers)
Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks)
Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92)
Hookers
Joseph Dweba (DHL Stormers)
Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears)
Locks
Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks)
Lood de Jager (Wild Knights)
Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers)
Loose forwards
Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)
Siya Kolisi (Cell C Sharks)
Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls)
Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)
Duane Vermeulen (Ulster)
Utility forwards
Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers)
Franco Mostert (Honda Heat)
Scrumhalves
Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles)
Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks)
Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers)
Cobus Reinach (Montpellier)
Flyhalves
Elton Jantjies (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes)
Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers)
Midfielders
Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks)
Damian de Allende (Wild Knights)
Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins)
Outside backs
Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks)
Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz)
Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls)
Warrick Gelant (Racing 92)
Utility Backs
Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers)
Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles)
Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs)