RUGBY: Henry builds up Durban clash

Friday 22nd June 2007

It's been a week for clichés in Durban ahead of Saturday's Tri-Nations match between South Africa and New Zealand, and some 30 hours before kick-off, All Black coach Graham Henry used his opening press conference address to neatly summarise them all.

"What a beautiful day!" he exclaimed.

"Middle of winter and 26 degrees. City and country in huge anticipation of a great rugby game, two top teams in the world playing each other in the most demanding competition in world rugby. we are all looking forward to it."

Captain Richie McCaw was a little more pragmatic about the situations he will face on Saturday, with the Eastern Cape winter about as far removed from the Christchurch winter as it can get.

" It's different to what we usually get," he said.

"I guess I got used to playing under lights, and I think back on the South island it's snowing, so it will be different. But it will be fun."

Jokes, clichés, and weather chat aside, the All Blacks are enjoying the smoothest of build-ups to the game, while the Boks have been cruelly shorn of four senior members of their pack.

Bob Skinstad's replacement of Pierre Spies at number eight has been a particular talking point, and Henry was quick to hint that it would change the pattern of the Boks' play.

"Skinstad and Spies are different players physically aren't they," he said.

"Skinstad is more of a ball-runner than a carrier, so I think that might change things for them a bit.

"But I haven't really given the changes a great deal of thought to be frank. Loose forward is an area of huge strength in SA rugby, I watched Super 14 and was very impressed with the quality of loose forwards.

"They can play all sorts of different combinations and not lose potency.

"We expect them to take us on up front. More of the same. They always look to get physical domination and they will do so tomorrow, and that starts up front."

McCaw also expects a crunching battle up front, and is well aware of Danie Roussouw's potential to cause problems at the line-out.

"They take you hard - perhaps not directly on the ball, but at the breakdown.

"It was important in the last three weeks to get us all back together as a unit, but there is a sense of it being here and now where it really starts.

"It doesn't get too much bigger than tomorrow, and everything has gone up a level this week. Hopefully we can do that with the performance tomorrow as well.

"I guess Danie Roussouw is a big man, and they were pretty smart as it is, so we have to make sure we try and pour some pressure on them, and make sure it doesn't change what we try to achieve on our own ball," he said.

"There's no extra training - well... there's always big line-out training! But that's always been the case, it won't be any different to what we have already experienced."

South Africa are totting up a number of niggly injuries, while New Zealand's casualty list is of a more once-off nature - broken jaws, knee ligaments, paternity leave - and it is fair to say, given the comparative energies visible within the teams, that the re-conditioning programme instituted by Henry at the start of the year is reaping rewards, despite Henry's attempts to play it down.

Disturbingly for other countries, Henry also hinted that although he found the Tri-Nations the most demanding tournament in world rugby, he was not aiming to peak just yet - an ominous statement of intent indeed if the All Blacks do win tomorrow.

"The benefits of reconditioning are for later in the year - we are hoping to peak later in the year," he said.

"We have injuries as well with Ali Williams and Keith Robinson's calf muscle.

"Injuries are just part and parcel of the international game. Depth in the squad is important, it is something we have tried to develop over the last three or four years and it is something the Springboks have developed as well.

"When it comes to World Cup time, the side with that depth is going to come through, because you are going to get injuries, it is the nature of the game.

"The Boks have played a lot of football on end - remember they played the semi-finals and final of the Super 14 as well, and then three Test matches. There will be wear and tear. It is how you handle it at the time that is important."

By Danny Stephens in Durban - Planet Rugby

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