All Blacks aim to go big & go home

The cauldron of Ellis Park is ready to receive a contest of notable ferocity and significance as whispers of the end of the mighty All Blacks’ traditional dominance of world rugby proliferate.  

The Springboks will take the hallowed turf with fire in their bellies and steel in their spines as they attempt to once again stamp authority onto their greatest foe, as they did last weekend in Nelspruit: 

A big punch from the powerful Irish a few weeks ago spun the All Blacks into disarray and, when it came time for them to recover, to bounce back when it mattered most and prove that their strength is perennial; that despite a stumble here and there they are never down for long, they defied the passionate expectations of their adoring fans and were thumped into the deck by a band of merry Springboks.  

The pressure on the All Blacks – players and coaching staff – is now immense, and the most interesting answer to come from Saturday’s battle is to the question of whether said pressure will galvanise or splinter them.  

Calls for the head of Ian Foster were loud before the team touched down on South African soil – a team wearing the unflattering badge as the first to have lost a home series to the Irish – and have amplified with steady roar since. However, the head coach has dug the proverbial trench, insisting that his troops are on the right track, though what exactly that track is remains a mystery to those outside the All Black camp.    

The mood of rugby fans the world over has swiftly changed; those in the habit of watching their beloved teams be run through with an All Black blade forged by speedy and creative attack, swarming defence and an almost cruel determination now appear to be licking their lips at the prospect of their heroes having a crack at what was once perceived as an impenetrable black wall. 

Foster has made four changes to this week’s starting XV. After a poor showing in the scrums against – what must be said – a formidable Springbok unit anchored by the powerful and wily Frans Malherbe, a new propping duo in Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax will be deployed. On the side of the scrum, Akira Ioane makes way for Shannon Frizell, while in the backs, Foster has opted for the services of Richie Mo’unga while Beauden Barrett drops to the bench. The squad also contains one potential debutant in young tighthead prop, Fletcher Newell. 

“Belief and confidence remain high in our group, which is working incredibly hard this week,” Foster said. “Playing at Ellis Park is always a special occasion for any All Black team, and this weekend will be no different. 

“Adding to that, the Freedom Cup is on the line which makes this a challenge that everyone is looking forward to.” 

In the Springbok camp, an injury to hooker Bongi Mbonambi this week sees the broad-shouldered Joseph Dweba don the number 2 jersey. Four other changes see Jesse Kriel take over on the right wing from the suspended Kurt-Lee Arendse, the bruising Duane Vermeulen in for Jasper Wiese and Ox Nche comes in for Trevor Nyakane and Jaden Hendrikse starts at scrumhalf ahead of the injured Faf de Klerk. 

“We made a few changes to the team, but Duane, Jesse and Herschel are all experienced players who know our systems well and have been stalwarts for the Boks,” said Nienaber. 

“Ox has also shown his ability to make his presence felt in the front row, so he is back in the mix. 

“Duane has a massive presence on the field and there is no bigger game for him to make his comeback from injury than facing the All Blacks,” said Nienaber. 

“He is an enforcer on attack and defence and we know he will give everything against a physical All Blacks team that are desperate to bounce back strongly from a challenging run of results. 

“Jasper is also a warrior, and we know that he will have an equally strong presence when he takes the field. 

“Jesse has played over 50 Tests, and he has been waiting in the wings for his chance. He’s played wing for us before, so we know what he can bring to the game, and we are also excited to welcome back Herschel, who has played an immense role to help prepare the playing squad for the last two Tests.” 

It is a particularly special occasion for Malherbe, who picks up his 50th cap. Nienaber sang the praises of the 31 year-old. 

"If we go and count all the points kicked over due to Frans' scrum work - even though he himself has scored only one try, five points are behind his name - you will come out with a lot of points accounted for by him," Nienaber said. 

"If you also count all the penalties he has won at scrum time in our half where we can then kick the ball up-field and get to walk 40-50m into the opponent’s half, he has carried our team on many occasions. 

"I suppose people are right in labelling him an unsung hero. He's definitely not one in our environment because we value him so much. 

"I've been fortunate enough to coach him since he was at the Western Province's academy and it's a privilege to see a milestone game like this.  

"We understand what he contributes. He's a big hero." 

Turning attention onto the opposition, Nienaber noted the following: 

“New Zealand are similar to the Springboks in the sense that they do not give up. 

“They fought until the end against us at the Mbombela Stadium last week and we expect nothing less from them on Saturday. 

“They have quality players within their ranks and given the rich history between the sides in Johannesburg and their desperation to turn things around after a few disappointing results, we know we are in for a massive challenge this weekend. 

“Our focus, however, is on improving our game and ensuring that we build on our form from last week. We had an honest assessment of our performance last week, and while there were several positives, there are areas that we need to make a step-up in, and it will be vital to get that right before we travel to Australia and Argentina for the away leg of the tournament, so this is a vital match for us.” 

It is certainly a contest steeped in intrigue as fans on both sides await to see if the wounded All Blacks are now too wounded to fight back or whether they will now, perhaps, shock their opponents and delight their faithful with a much-improved performance. As things stand, the latter eventuality seems unlikely at present, especially given the vociferous and hostile Ellis Park crowd, which often acts as something of a sixteenth player for the Boks. However, as the saying goes, form is temporary but class is forever. It would, therefore, be important to remember that this is rugby, and this is the All Blacks – writing them off is not really an option.