Six key questions: Boks vs Wallabies

The Wallabies are set to take on the Springboks this weekend in South Africa. Here are six key questions to be answered.

Who will start in the midfield for South Africa?
With injuries taking down both Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am, one thing we know for sure this weekend is that there will be a new Bok centre pairing.

This is not a bad thing considering that there were some positive signs in an Elton Jantjies and Handre Pollard combination at 10 and 12 during the back end of last weeks historic win over the All Blacks.

With both starting centres from that game De Allende and Am out injured, Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has called up Ruhan Nel, the decorated former sevens specialist who has been in good form for Western Province in this years revised Currie Cup.

It is more likely that we will see Jesse Kriel get the nod in the 13 jersey with a possible debut of the bench for the exciting Nel?

South Africa’s Jesse Kriel. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

Most South Africans should be happy about the injuries to de Allende and Am, no offense meant to the two, but it could be a blessing in disguise that Erasmus will be forced to expose different players and options to the rigours of test rugby.

In the Test matches, they have started together as a partnership de Allende and Am have done nothing spectacular without being terribly poor either. It’s also not their fault that they do happen to be two of the better players in their positions currently plying their trade in South Africa.

Andre Esterhuizen naturally comes back into the selection picture. His past performances in the Green and Gold were nothing to write home about and don’t inspire much confidence but with no one really putting their hands up as of yet for the 12 and 13 jumpers, another crack might not be the worst thing that could happen.

The Boks centre combination is the biggest problem that Rassie Erasmus and his team face in terms of selection.

Being forced into selecting a makeshift combination or throwing some young blood into the mix could be the catalyst needed to get away from the mediocrity that currently plagues the Springbok midfield.

Will Damian Willemse get his start at fullback?
Yes, please!

This is something I have wanted to see happen since Rassie Erasmus first made the murmurings that he would like to see Willemse at fullback.

The kid is quite simply something special. Regarded mostly as a ten, he has played fullback and from where we stand he looks special there.

The fact that he got the start at 15 for Western Province’s drubbing of Griquas in last weeks Currie Cup fixture looks to be a positive sign that he could get the nod to make his first start in the Green and Gold.

Standing in his way is Willie le Roux.

Fresh off a role in Wasps victory on the weekend, the Bok incumbent is back in the Springbok camp and with everything still to play for Erasmus and his staff could opt for some consistency in the back three.

Le Roux has done plenty of flying over the past two weeks though and this could work in favour of Willemse getting his first full senior start for his country.

In terms of player merit Willie has all the experience and on his day is up among the best.

Willemse on the other hand is a far more rounded player, we know he is brave and does not shy away from the physical aspect of the game, something le Roux has been guilty of in his career, and with the possible aerial bombardment to come Willemse may be the right choice to make wholehearted and committed efforts when challenging in the air.

That said you are asking a lot of the youngster when you consider that he would be coming up against arguably the best aerial exponent in the world in Israel Folau.

If what Erasmus has been saying about building towards the World Cup is true though, it must be viewed as an opportunity to blood Willemse and see what he is made of at the highest level.

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus. (Photo By Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Will Folau and Cheika rain down an aerial bombardment on the Bok back three?
Regardless of whether Willemse gets the nod in the Bok 15 jumper or not this weekend, this is surely an avenue of attack that the Australian brain trust must be considering.

In the build-up to the game, the men from down under have not been shy to talk about the South African defense and how they have developed some plans of their own to counter the way the Springboks defended in Wellington.

Could that be a tactic in itself, a little misdirection for a more direct aerial route?

A rugby game can be broken down into mini-games, ones that create duels between certain players on the field.

The kicking game is one of them. We generally see it as something controlled by the half-backs.

In the case of the Wallabies, it’s more about the superb individual skill of Israel Folau to dominate in the air.

Israel Folau. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The glaring weakness of South Africa’s back three is still there inability to dominate the sky.

The All Black and Wallaby mastery of competing for the high ball, mainly through the skillset of Folau and Smith, is not something the Springboks can currently match.

If the South Africans do manage to put on the same kind of defensive display as they did in Wellington the Australians may be forced to rely on the kick chase as their main weapon of attack.

Frankly, why wouldn’t they when they have Folau?

Will the Boks move away from what made them successful against the All Blacks?
The truth is the Springboks have never been renowned for their attacking prowess.

When players from around the world who have played the Boks describe their brand, the words used are generally “physical”, “direct” and “a good set piece”.

It’s tough in today’s world to stick to those ‘boring’ basics when fans and supporters are looking for excitement value.

The Springboks (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

That perception is not helped by the success of the Lions in Super Rugby, who have achieved that success by playing expansive and exciting rugby.

It is worth reminding ourselves, without taking anything away from what the Lions have achieved that their brand is yet to lift the Super Rugby trophy in three consecutive final attempts.

What it has done is breed consistency and believe.

The Lions success has been built on an identity that they have not moved away from, that they have trusted and stood by even come finals time and in spite of three final loses you would bet your house that come the start of Super Rugby 2019 the Lions will be playing that style of rugby once again.

That is, without doubt, something any side in the world would do well to learn from.

The Boks need to get back to that simplest of principals: build an identity, believe in it and produce it week in and week out.

It’s easy to be seduced by the notion that expansive and exciting rugby is the way forward even for professional players and coaches.

The statistical reality is very different from the romance of that illusion.

All Blacks rugby is synonymous with this romanticised idea of running rugby but in truth, the All Blacks kick more than any other tier one side.

Their success is based largely on the fact that they have statistically been the best defensive side in World Rugby for over a decade, conceding on average a mere 14.84 points per game since 2009.

A stat so quickly lost on us because of that fantastic All Black aura.

What we see is black jerseys running in try after try, forgetting very quickly that a large majority of those tries are the result of defensive turnovers.

Pragmatism forced or not, proved, with some added fortune, in Wellington to be the correct way to bring down the worlds most dominant professional sporting team.

Pragmatism is the way forward for the Boks and for any side who wish to be winners in the game that is Test match rugby.

Who is the pressure on?
The South Africans will know that an away win against the All Blacks will mean nothing if they then come undone against the Wallabies at home.

The Wallabies themselves will be feeling the pressure and smelling the opportunity for their own significant status restorer with a win in South Africa, something they have not done since 2011.

Both coaches will be under the pump, at least for their sides to put in solid and well-constructed performances.

For Michael Cheika it will be all about his troops’ attitudes and the manner in which they throw themselves around the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

They will be measured by whether they have a visible hunger and commitment to winning the game.

Something you would imagine was made clear by the rugby supporting public in Australia through one man in particular.

Their coach and their country will be looking for a positive response after that ordeal.

For Erasmus, its about dealing with the high of beating the All Blacks in Wellington and the expectations that will now come with that.

In broad terms the pressure is on everywhere, as it should be in the international game amongst the world’s top teams. It’s the type of competition and pressure that the game currently needs.

Its almost a lose-lose situation for both sides this weekend, let’s hope they can rise to the occasion and produce a memorable test match.

Will the officials do their jobs this weekend?
On a sadder and less Bok vs Wallaby focused note this question has to be asked and should continue to be asked until we get consistency from match day officials throughout the professional game.

Let’s just say it. The current standard of officiating in the game is diabolical, officials need to take responsibility for their performances and basic errors.

World Rugby need to take a long hard look at themselves for polluting the game with rules and regulations that do not serve to create a fair and competitive contest.

Using last week as a small example, we know Nigel Owens may have cost the All Blacks in the final moments of the Wellington Test.

Had he called Kolisi’s men for offsides the result could have gone the other way.

Flip the coin and Owens also failed to blow the All Blacks for side entry once in 80 minutes, something the world champs did on numerous occasions including in the build-up to Willie le Roux’s sending off.

Another moment in the game that could have been a deciding factor.

As a general example it seems these days, the offside line – in the Southern Hemisphere at least – no longer exists.

A fact made more astounding when you consider that there are effectively three pairs of eyes at any given time capable of policing the offside line, which happens to be one of the simplest and least subjective laws for an official to govern on a rugby field.

This really requires a much deeper look, I am certain a thoroughly researched and time stamped feature would expose the majority of professional referee’s sub-par performances.

It’s a toss-up as to whether you will watch a well-officiated game this weekend and the extent to which that could influence the final result.

Wishing players, coaches and fans luck with this one.