A big fat Springbok-sized reality check is coming for the All Blacks in just over a week’s time – and the challenge for Graham Henry’s men is to be a lot more ready for it than they were last year.
From the article – Swaggering Springboks up All Blacks’ ante
By MARC HINTON – Stuff
Early signs are good with the performances through the June internationals vastly better than they were last year when the absence of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw seemed to knock the team right off its axis.
There was one impressive performance in Dunedin, a mostly positive one that came with a bit of an asterisk in New Plymouth (* the Irish sending-off early in the piece) and a bit of a flat one in Hamilton to conclude the series.
Mostly positive, though, and considering the injuries, the All Blacks’ reputation as notorious slow starters and the fact a half-dozen rookies were thrown into the deep end of test rugby it wasn’t the worst of pre-Tri-Nations shakedowns.
But it was nothing compared to what faces the All Blacks now – back-to-back tests against their arch-rivals, world champions and defending Tri-Nations champions, the Springboks.
What’s more there are all sorts of connotations around the test matches at Eden Park, Auckland, and Westpac Stadium, Wellington – not the least their potential to alter the balance of the competition before it’s hardly begun.
However, over-riding it all is the World Cup and whatever permutations these matches may or may not have. Some will tell you there is no significance – and whatever happens this year will have no bearing on how the tournament plays out next September and October.
But that’s being too simplistic. The All Blacks would not want to roll over for the Boks on Eden Park – where they will have to win a semifinal and final next year. The Auckland ground has been a fortress for them where they’ve won 20 straight tests and have not been beaten since 1994. They will be desperate to keep that status intact.
Plus, to allow the South Africans to further build their confidence and make more inroads into the All Black psyche, after those three straights wins last year, would be dicing with death.
There’s a swagger about the Boks now – on the back of their All Black dominance – that wasn’t evident even when they won the World Cup. That ominous self-confidence has to be, if not burst, certainly deflated between now and RWC 2011. And this is the time to do it, for next year’s Tri-Nations will be little more than a charade so close to the big event.
“That ominous self-confidence has to be, if not burst, certainly deflated between now and RWC 2011”
On the other hand it we can win the duel with the All Blacks this year it will put the cat amongst the pigeons for sure.
Then we can see the long knives being drawn.
i hope that PdV sees this series in that light.
The Ferns will be nervous, for sure. The Boks have a very settled look about them with new backup players coming through well with the recent NH tours.
Kirchner must still prove himself, otherwise we match or beat them in all departments, it will go to the bounce of the ball in their backyard and to our advantage in our backyard.
Just read this on a Lions website
Test move confirmed
Willa Thursday, 1st of July 2010 at 06:54:17 PM
The test match between the Springboks and All Blacks on 21 August, will be moved to the National Stadium. The official announcement will be made next week.
As earlier reported in this website, the move was considered. It has now come to light that this will definitely go ahead. There will be a huge financial benefit to the GLRU due to this. We can expect a capacity crowd of 90 000 attending this game, which means more money.
The Boks better bring their A game, as this match could in all probability become the greatest game ever played between the Boks and New Zealand.
An unmatched atmosphere and people united behind the Boks will make this a day to remember.
In Zane we have a poor mans AB star full back. Zane is save enough but can run much more potent lines than any other SA FB.
Even the hot favorite FS can not join the backline like Zane, i know as a Bull supporter i might oversee some of his mistakes, but i can recall many tries that he made and scored this year.
If you have someone like that in your team surrounded by brilliant players like Habana, Jaque, WO, he will get more confident and give you more line breaks. I am excited by his play and the only other players giving you the whole package is Gio and Stefan Terblance. But ST is too old.
@ superBul:
The National stadium is now called Soccer City, but after the SWC it will be called that.
@ 4man:
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National Stadium??!!!
Who came up with that name, for Pete’s sake! That must surely be the most mundane name ever – surely? And why come up with the concept of a national stadium at a time when we have a number of stadiums that will and have already done the nation proud? Nee, wragtag!!! What’s wrong with keeping it Soccer City or the Kalabash?
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