That headline might sound a little weird seeing that the Wallabies and the All Blacks already play running rugby. But the Boks, still being coached by the traditionalist Peter de Villiers, are said to be planning their old tried and true tactics for the coming Tri-Nations in July and August.
Detractors call it the “kick and hope” tactic – boot the ball downfield, rush down there and try to force a penalty.
It’s certainly worked in two of the four RWCs they’ve played in, that and dogged defence. But it’s been a bust in the Tri Nations. Since 1996 the Boks have won the Tri-Nation title only three times while the All Blacks have won it ten times.
But when they’ve witnessed South African teams holding onto the ball as the Stormers did Friday night in Auckland – when they didn’t drop it – and coming away with a win, albeit a very close one, a lot of SA fans are thinking that Peter de Villiers doesn’t really mean what he’s saying.
They’re thinking that he understands that if he has backs like Fourie, Olivier, de Jongh, Sadie, Aplon, Basson and Habana, and a five eighth as creative as Sarel Pretorius, he doesn’t need the huge boot and no attack of Morne Steyn.
He knows that he can come up with forwards who’ll plow into the breakdown, muscle up in the scrums, and outjump the opposition in the lineouts, and a backline with real thrust in the centres and grass burners in the back three.
In spite of what he’s quoted as saying, why would he want to kick away possession?
So has the SA rumour mill got it right? Let’s hope so. The All Blacks and the Wallabies are the best in the world at running rugby, and if the Boks do take on both teams at their own game it promises to be an entertaining Tri-Nations.
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