From Jan de Koning on rugby365.com
Veteran Wallaby loose forward George Smith, one of a handful of celebrated players with 100 Test caps, believes the set pieces will be the key when Australia tackle South Africa in a Tri-Nations crunch match in Cape Town on Saturday.
Speaking in the build-up to the Newlands showdown against the unbeaten Springboks, Smith said the Aussies have done a lot of work on their set pieces.
The Boks – in their back-to-back wins over the All Blacks the past fortnight – showed that they are not just secure in their own set pieces, but often also dominate on the opposition’s ball.
Having squeezed the life out of the normally efficient All Black pack, the Boks showed that they are now the masters of the set piece world.
In the last Test, in Durban at the weekend, the Boks won 25 out of 37 set pieces that were contested, 68 percent from these primary phases going to South Africa – which included the Boks turning over two All Black scrum balls, while also stealing three and disrupting a fourth of the Kiwis’ eight line-outs.
Not surprising then that the Wallabies are looking to improve their set-piece play.
“You must make sure you are complete in your own set piece and disrupt them as much ball in that area for them as you can,” Smith said, when asked how they plan to end the Boks’ victory march.
“We have done a lot of work on our set piece, to make sure we execute that well and when you do get the opportunity to disrupt their set piece you must take full advantage of it.”
He said that set pieces have been South Africa’s strength, but it is also their physicality within games that is a concern.
“In any Bok side you play, they are a physical team,” the Wallaby flank said.
He said he doesn’t think the Wallabies will be underdone, despite not having played a Test for three weeks – their last outing having been a 16-22 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland last month.
“The guys have been playing club football, but that’s obviously not Test level,” Smith said, adding: “The boys have been training hard in Sydney and playing for club sides.
“I don’t think the [Aussie] boys will be underdone in this game. The boys have been training particularly hard and everyone has an understanding of what needs to be done here in Cape Town.
“The boys have the full knowledge that we have to play particularly well to beat them [the Boks].”
He also dismissed the notion that the South Africans might start showing some ‘battle fatigue’, considering they will be playing in their third consecutive Test this week.
“I don’t think it [third game in a row] will be a factor,” ASmith said, adding: “They’re professional players and if they recover as they should be, I don’t think fatigue will be a factor.”
He also pointed out that the Boks will have a three-week break of their own after Saturday, which means they will be able to “empty the tanks”.
The 29-year-old Wallaby flank, now in his 10th season of international rugby, says he always enjoy visiting Cape Town and playing at Newlands.
“We always seem to get a good reception from the crowd, they love Australians here,” he quipped.
Georgie, one to many maul collapsed on you it seems. Good luck anyway…
Ag ou Matfield en Bakkies gaat hulle weer gasgee in die lynstane Wooohoooooo
Raait, ek gaan nou soos Rokoff maak…en in die pad val. Tot later.
Beast gaan hulleweerlaat “poep” (mag ek daai woord gebruik?)
Ek hoop die Bokke KOOK nog beter hierdie Saterdag as verlede Saterdag en bliksem die Ozzmob behoorlik !!
Cheers Koos!
Cheers Koos
#4 Beast gat met hulle mors jong, eish wonner of hulle weet wat vir hulle wag…….
Bokke is nou so mentally strong, gaan iets baie spesiaal vat om hulle te breek
4 – AB,
Hier mag jy vloek, ons laat dit in elke ou se diskressie hoe hy blog… ons veronderstel almal het ‘n mate van volwassendheid !!
AB….jy mag vloek hier. Net solank jy nie rook nie.
#8 Bwaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha 😆 coming van you was dit nou vir my histeries 😆
#9 Ja nee, mens mag steel rape vloek net wat jy wil, moet net nie rook nie dan is jy satans kind
Ons sal moet sorg dat die aussies nie goeie voorvoet bal kry nie. Hulle het ‘n giftige agterlyn.
10 – EEE,
Dissie snaaks nie, flok !!
Hehehehe
EEE
Ek praat van Tony Mckeever!
Ja ek vloek maar baie min,dis net daai skaapstekers wat my aan die vloek kry! Ek sal daaraan moet werk!
#14 Ek het so gesien bwaaahahahahaha, voel ek nou soos ‘n poepol 😆
#15 Hulle kry dit met almal reg hoor hehehehehe, hulle en van die passion gap Capies
K9 Nou trek ek hierdie Marlboro darem lekker!
12 – K9 Toy Pom,
Janee jong, die Ozzmob het ‘n goeie skakelpaar…. en dit word nie slegter soos mens buitentoe beweeg in die agterlyn nie…
Ons sal hulle voor behoorlik moet donner en dan heelmiddag in hulle gesigte speel en verdedig.
So van rook gepraat, ek het nou begin E-sigarette rook……..dit help regtig baie, het 30 siggies ‘n dag gerook en het nou al vir 5 weke nog nie weer gewone siggie gerook nie, voel 100% beter al, voel nie meer 80 nie, voel nou 60 hehehehehehe
EEE…hierdie poepolle gaan jou ban as jy poepol sê hehehehe
#17 Ja daai klomp wat nie kan mielies eet nie, en almal skuld hulle mos!
#19 dis hoekom ek se hy moet nie met JDV begin nie, hulle gaan reg deur hom hardloop
Morning all/more almal!
Aussies se gameplan heeltemal anders – lees baie meer intelligent as die huidige “baby Blacks”, soos die rugby princess hulle noem.
As ons so baie gaan skop soos in die laaste twee toetse sla ons verdedigers in linies moet chase, anders gaan hul agterlyn ons omdraai.
So ek hoop John, Vic en Fourie lees die game reg en verander taktiek as ons aanmekaar omgedraai word – soos wat ek verwag gaan gebeur.
Gaan awesome game wees….
Vandat ek hier is vloek ek glad nie meer nie…….ek sal seker af en toe op keo moet inloer en weer my swetse oefen!
23…..dink bietjie…Morne, JdV, Adi. Chaos!!!
#20EEE Is dit nie net n foefie nie? My vrou wou dit vir my koop toe se ek ek dink dis sommer n gimmic! Werk dit?
more oom Piet!
27…..ja ek wil ook weet!!
22# AB
Soos daai ou visterman op Paternoster gese het, ‘Ek het nog net twee tande in my bek maar deur die Heretjie se genade sit hulle darem gelukkig reg oorkant mekaar!
Party van daai bloggers op keo stel ek my so voor…..
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