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Whenever there is an upcoming game between the Springboks and the All Blacks, my primal instinct comes to the fore.
It isn’t a conscious decision, it isn’t planned or even highly promoted in the media, it simply stirs the DNA. It is carnal, barbaric and comes from within.
It doesn’t matter whether we are at a low and the All Blacks are at the peak of their powers, it just simply is.
For close to 100 years these two teams have been fighting it out for supremacy on the rugby fields.
I believe growing up in the ’70s must have been the catalyst for this primal instinct; one that surfaces seven days before another contest in the greatest rivalry in rugby history.
During my childhood years, much of the mindset of facing the All Blacks has been ingrained into my memory via storytelling, fables and legends.
When I ran onto the rugby fields in the many schools I frequented every child had a hero. Every child within his own mind was wearing the green and gold and he was facing an All Black.
Many of us at birth were given names of our fathers’ rugby heroes – you wore that name with pride, and on the field, that is who you were.
Even if you were slight of build like Naas Botha, but your name was Jan and by mere coincidence your surname was Ellis, you wanted to be him. You were him.
The reality is that the rivalry may have been born due to the competitiveness of the two nations, the fact that for so long they were unquestionably the two best teams in the world.
But since readmission, the All Blacks have been far superior to anything the Springboks have been able to produce.
Their respective records speak for themselves. So why is this rivalry still alive and well?
Why is it that the tradition of this rivalry stands out above all other?
Over the last 20 years Australia, France and South Africa all have success percentages around the 30 percent mark against the All Blacks.
There was a time after South Africa’s isolation where they took a while to adjust to international rugby. In the first ten years the All Blacks wiped the floor with them most of the time, South Africa managing only a 25 percent success rate.
It has only been in the last decade that South Africa have stepped up in comparison to France and Australia.
Australia 1990s’ golden era gave them a 45 percent success rate over New Zealand, but that has now fallen to just 19percent while South Africa have improved to 35 percent.
In fact, in the six years from 2004 to 2009 the record between South Africa and New Zealand was 7/8.
But then player power and Pieter de Villiers lost the plot completely, and simply had no idea how to adapt their game.
Could it be that South Africa is on the cusp of being worthy of that rivalry once more?
From history we know that South Africa has the players, they have the talent, but their lack of quality coaching and planning interlaced with a tad of political interference have caused inconsistencies in performance.
Heyneke Meyer’s passion is clear for all to see – I’m afraid he will get a stroke in the coach’s box one of these fine days.
He wills his players over the try-line, he wills the passes, the scrums and he most of all experiences every hit, ruck or maul with his players.
There is no doubt that he has brought a much-needed improvement in the Springbok camp.
He’s shown that he is willing to adapt the Springbok game plan, and that although many of us have had our doubts about some of his selections, there is no questioning the fact that he will die for his country and his team.
Will it be good enough this coming weekend, or are we not ready yet to face the challenge of the best team in the world?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.