Move over Australia, New Zealand’s coaches are thrilled to have the old foe South Africa back as their biggest threat to the World Cup.
There has been nothing but New Zealand admiration at the revival of South African rugby this season and in an interview with All Blacks forward coach Steve Hansen he emphasised how good it was for the South Africans to be good.
Marc Hinton, writing on Yahoo!Xtra Rugby, asked if there was an intimidating aspect to the South African revival.
“They don’t scare me but I’ve got a huge respect for them,” he said. “They’re a very good rugby nation.
“Last year they suffered because they had about nine or 10 key people injured. Those guys through injury have had a good conditioning period, and they’ve come out and played really, really well.
“It’s an exciting time,” added Hansen. “You’ve only got to see the crowds that are going to the finals … it’s something New Zealand fans have to look at and say ‘have we taken things for granted a wee bit?’. Not only the fans, but the media, us the players and coaches, it’s sort of ‘ho-hum the Super 14′.
“But we see what an effect it does have when someone gets it. I think it’s quite exciting about South African rugby being on a high.”
All Blacks coach Graham Henry said the renewed enthusiasm and level of performance for the game in the republic only confirmed his thoughts on a side that has regularly beaten his New Zealand team on home soil.
“You have to be impressed with what they’ve done at Super 14 level. I’ve always said from my point of view — and others don’t agree with me — South Africa might be our biggest challenge come Rugby World Cup time.
“That’s not to lessen the potency of the French, the Irish, the Australians or anybody else,” Henry said. “But they’ve got the manpower to be a hell of a good side.”
But Henry wasn’t so sure there had been any dramatic shift in style from South Africa, though he acknowledged that both the Bulls and Sharks had seemed prepared to move the ball more by hand in the attack zones.
“Their game is based on forward dominance, big driving lineouts, a big kicking game from 9 in particular, and kicking their penalties and dropping the goals. And the Sharks in particular once they get into the red zone are keeping the ball in their hands.
“They’re a lot fitter than they have been the South African sides, and that’s made quite a bit of difference. I’d say their biggest improvement is their defence in comparison with other years in Super 14 rugby.
“They’ve changed their defensive patterns I believe,” said Henry, pointing out that the Sharks and Bulls were both using a traditional in-to-out defence.
“Whether that transfers into the South African side I’m not sure. They may use both ways of defending — in other words the blitz defence which is out-to-in defence, or the traditional defence.”
written by keo
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