By RICHARD KNOWLER – The Press
Last updated 05:00 01/08/2009
SHARK ATTACK: The All Blacks face a hungry Springbok side at Durban’s Absa Stadium, known as the Shark Tank, early tomorrow.
This is one result Graham Henry does not want blotting his coaching CV.
History is speckled with tales of All Blacks coaches who have travelled to South Africa buoyed at the prospect of beating the Springboks on their own soil, only to be sent scuttling back to Aotearoa disillusioned and disappointed.
Alex MacDonald’s lot got spanked 4-0 in 1949, Jack Sullivan’s crew went down 2-1 one test was drawn in Bloemfontein in 1960, the 1970 vintage under Ivan Vodanovich were done 3-1 and JJ Stewart’s 1976 side were left hurt and bewildered following their 3-1 series defeat.
Before those tours, All Blacks teams were largely self-coached by the manager and players.
He might be the most successful coach in All Blacks history but tomorrow morning Henry is in grave danger of joining that infamous list.
Many would argue this is not a real series because it comprises just two tests. But with the way the international programme is, the two Tri-Nations fixtures will have to suffice.
Before he left New Zealand, Henry said the coaches were viewing these matches as a series but last weekend’s defeat in Bloemfontein has torpedoed those hopes, sinking his opportunity to join 1996 coach John Hart as the only other All Blacks gaffer to return home triumphant from the Republic with a series win.
Now Henry is fighting to prevent being the first Kiwi coach to lose in South Africa since Stewart.
The arrival of professionalism has brought greed and cynicism hence tests that are now a dime a dozen but it cannot wipe away the mystique of battles between the All Blacks and the Springboks in South Africa.
When filled to the gills, their magnificent stadiums are a hotbed of parochialis
m, noise and banter. Lifted by their rabid fans, the Springboks explode into action as if they have had TNT shoved down their gullets.
Tomorrow’s stoush at Durban’s Absa Stadium, known as the “Shark Tank”, promises plenty although forecast rain could subdue the running game as these two sides go at it like a couple of angry bears in a pit.
Although the Springboks have tried to avoid the hype about beating the All Blacks twice within eight days on their own soil, they will take a massive dose of satisfaction from the achievement.
Morne Steyn’s selection at first five-eighth shows the Boks’ game plan will be uncomplicated; the Bulls pivot will kick the shine off his boots as he looks to set up his forwards inside the All Blacks half and if there is a chance for him and fullback Frans Steyn to kick long-range drop goals they will.
Steyn banged over a record four drop goals in the Super 14 semifinal in Pretoria against the Crusaders. Despite this, the All Blacks say they have no plan in place to counter this danger.
“No, we haven’t thought too much about that. I think a lot of our week has been about sorting out our own game,” centre Conrad Smith said. “We are aware that he can drop goal and if we give penalties away he can kick them.
“Hopefully we can spend a lot more time in their half than they do in ours. That was the problem last week and that’s more what we have concentrated on this week.”
#28 OK yes actually it was Percy first…..Boks sort of came along to complete the package!!
Talking about “On the Udder hand” it is a Dairy Farmers wedding!!
One of my ‘old flames’ from college …. Heheheh, surprised to get an invite !! 😯
Oh yeah, 1997 opps a decade too early there, numerical slip up…it was 2007 !! 😳
Old flames at weddings could be an interesting combination
I dare you wink at him, hehehehehe!
Kindly excuse if I’m rather slow to respond, busy looking at tweaks for this blog…
I do like the cartoon on the top
#33……If I wink we will both probably burst out laughing! I will look at the floor!
More blog names – Up and Under,
Scrum Down
Big Bokke Blogg…..
Line Out
OK off to the shops for some biltong
Cheers for now
#34
We can call it “Winning Ways” and get Jake White involved
#38 Bwahahahaha – trouble is Skop would try to invade so he could have a f*adilly rant and rave!!
We were thinking of calling it RUGBY TALK
Smit squashes talk of golden Bok era
South African captain John Smit has hosed down suggestions he is at the helm of a golden generation in Springboks rugby.
In the modest style Smit has made his own, he fended off all talk surrounding what will be a world record 60th test as skipper when South Africa face the All Blacks on Sunday morning (NZ time). He moves clear of the 59 test tally that Australian George Gregan and England’s Will Carling share.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry today reiterated his view that Smit and the current Springboks were the toughest he had come up against during six years in charge in New Zealand and during his time with Wales.
“They’re ranked No 1 in the world, they’re probably the best South African side that I’ve played against as a coach,” Henry said.
“We rank them very highly so they’re going to be a very difficult side to contain.”
Those sorts of appraisals have been prominently run in newspapers here this week, with some commentators also opining it is a “great” Springboks era.
“The important thing for us is we listen as little as possible to that,” Smit said.
“When you talk abut golden eras of teams it’s normally spoken about in hindsight.
“The more we hear about how good we are and what we should be doing, the worse it will be for us. I’m tasked as captain to keep perspective. The more we think about milestones and eras, the less we’ll think about what needs to be done today.”
For all the talk, Smit’s Springboks have struggled for consistency under his five-year tenure. They were deserved world champions in 2007 but the All Blacks have denied them the Tri-Nations trophy for the last four seasons, something 31-year-old Smit is conscious of.
“We won it in 2004 and it seems like a lifetime ago in terms of what’s been achieved since then,” he said.
“Certainly there’s a deep burn within our squad that we win this one and many more but it’s a tough tournament to win.”
Smit said the All Blacks were clearly below their best in last weekend’s 28-19 loss at Bloemfontein and his players were braced for a backlash at ABSA Stadium.
“Them not being themselves last week is something we have factored into how we prepared for this test mentally. They’ll be a far better team and we just have to make sure we take our game a gear up,” he said.
“I don’t think there are far greater challenges than facing the All Blacks two weeks in a row. It used to be norm some time back. People sitting on their couches are saying this is what test rugby should be about.”
The Springboks haven’t recorded successive home wins over the All Blacks in the same year since 1976.
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