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Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of a South African,
Be he alive, or be he dead,
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.
That was the threat of a sheep-shearing giant called Steve living at the top of a beanstalk when a young Afrikaans boy, Heynie, tried to make off with his gleaming gold trophy.
When the barefooted kid, who at home minded a herd of fleet-footed Springboks on a farm with his mother, got his hands on it and climbed down a beanstalk, the giant followed him, cursing angrily.
“Turn over my trophy,” shouted the infuriated giant. “You stole it while I was asleep.”
“Ruck you,” chirped cheeky Heynie, who cut down the beanstalk with an axe.
The stunned giant fell from grace and Heynie lived happily ever after with the golden prize in his trophy cabinet.
They say fairytales sometimes come true. Will the Springboks bring down the giants of the modern game? South African fans certainly hope so. Or will the All Blacks, easily the best team on the planet, grind the Springboks into the turf and make a meal of them?
Statistics, as Mark Twain once said, don’t mean a damn thing. But here they are anyway. The New Zealanders have beaten South Africa six times in the past seven Test matches.
September 15, 2012: New Zealand won 21-11 in Dunedin
October 6, 2012: New Zealand won 32-16 in Johannesburg
September 14, 2013: New Zealand won 29-15 in Auckland
October 5, 2013: New Zealand won 38-27 in Johannesburg
September 13, 2014: New Zealand won 14-10 in Wellington
October 4, 2014: New Zealand lost 27-25 in Johannesburg
July 25, 2015: New Zealand won 27-20 in Johannesburg
Why so? Well, the New Zealanders have developed an all-round game that is the envy of many fans and critics. They are good up-front, their forwards are big and quick and their backs can carve up a defence as skilfully as New Zealanders shear sheep.
The South Africans, however, have stuck to a gameplan that served them well when winning the 1995 and 2007 Webb Ellis trophies. The Springboks in full cry are a formidable force but they lack the inventive and instinctive skills of the New Zealanders.
Too often, we have been caught napping by the All Blacks and most times in the closing stages of a Test. It’s been a wake-up call for Heyneke Meyer and the Boks and I am sure it’s been heeded.
However, I don’t think we will see an expansive game from his charges in the semi-final at Twickenham. I expect the first half to be a tight affair in which the battle at the breakdown will be vital.
The Boks, particularly scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and pivot Handre Pollard, will have to be pin-point with their boots. Kicking the ball into the hands of the All Blacks backs, who can swing the ball any which way, could cost us dear.
Jack, or Heynie, caught the giant sleeping in the fairytale but I doubt the All Blacks will be caught napping by a Bok assault in the first few minutes of the game.
We know how they play and the All Blacks know what we do. There’s no mystery here. I expect both teams to feel each other out in the first half and adapt in the second stanza.
Meyer and Kiwi coach Steve Hansen have different psychological make-ups. Hansen appears disingenuously matter-of-fact while the Boks coach wears his emotions on his sleeve. How they both react when the going gets tough will be crucial. This is not a time to lose your cool.
The outcome could come down to a few mistakes: in tactics or even the boot. Twickenham on Saturday will be a cockpit of tension and an uncomfortable place for the nervous.
Much will hang on how Pollard fares against opposing flyhalf Dan Carter. They can both thread the eye of a needle when kicking penalties and who holds his nerve better in the pressure cooker will be vital.
The weather, too, will be an important factor. The New Zealanders are more accustomed to playing in rain than the Boks, but heavy underfoot conditions may suit the South African gameplan better and put a damper on the fleet-footed All Blacks.
I am not counting out a Boks victory. We have a better side than most people think. South Africa have an effective mixture of experience and form and on their day can upset what Meyer calls the world’s best-ever rugby team. The Boks coach appears to be playing a canny mind-game, but it’s one that won’t fool Hansen.
The pressure will be enormous. Kiwi fans expect the All Blacks to become the first-ever team to hold on to the golden trophy and the cry of anguish from New Zealand fans should even reach Twickenham if they don’t. Meyer’s career probably hangs on the result. I doubt that he will be kept on as coach if the Boks lose.
The pair talk casually about sharing a beer after the game and who will have to pay for it. Don’t be fooled by this: the game will be a war of attrition. One man will be grinning afterwards, the other trying to mask his disappointment.
As American football coach Vince Lombardi once said: “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” And both coaches and their fans know it.
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.