Nick Mallett and Wayne Smith.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
All Blacks v Springboks
Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 6 September
Eden Park, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Nick Mallett says that prior form will play little in the upcoming two test series between the All Blacks and Springboks. The former Springbok coach, who led them to a then-record-equalling 17 test victories in a row in the 1997-98 seasons, acknowledged that the two traditional heavyweights have been less than dominant over the past fortnight.
“I think New Zealand have got issues to be outplayed as they were (by the Pumas). I’ve seen the stats and the 40 missed tackles in that game and I don’t know how many turnovers, but yeah it’s not as though New Zealand are comfortable,” said Mallett when speaking to journalists Brendan Nel and Gavin Rich.
However, Mallett said that while the world champion Springboks have been below their best so far this season, there is not much of a gap between them and everyone else.
“So going back to us being World Cup champions, we won by one point in the quarter final, one point in the semifinal, one point in the final. There’s no way we are miles better than any team in the world. We just happened to have been very, very good for the last couple of years and we’ve sneaked over the line ahead of other teams.”
Nick Mallett.
Photo: Chris Symes/Getty Images
The All Blacks and Springboks play two tests in the next two weekends, at Eden Park and Sky Stadium.
“Two away games against New Zealand are very, very tough. I mean, if we get one win there, you know, I think that will be a really good result,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter what state they are in, New Zealand. It makes no difference if they’ve lost to Ireland or lost to France, when they play against South Africa, they appear, they just somehow just get up for us, as do we for them. The big difference I would say between us and New Zealand is that in the past, if we’ve been played badly and being coached badly, we get beaten by 50 points against them.
“If they play badly, we beat them by about five to 10 points. We don’t really put 30 or 40 points on against the All Blacks. It did happen once, I must admit … and the Boks played an absolutely magical game that, at Twickenham.”
Mallett warned that a simple power and kicking game that the Springboks often rely on won’t be enough to beat the All Blacks.
“You can’t play the side of rugby which we do, which is subdue and penetrate, usually just say three, six, nine points. But the All Blacks … they have the ability to do those long range, transition tries against you that can put the score into the stratosphere.”
Rassie Erasmus with Naas Botha and Nick Mallett during the 2018 Rugby Championship.
Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
The 68-year-old Mallett singled out New Zealand referees Ben O’Keeffe and James Doleman, who controlled the Springboks’ first two Rugby Championship tests, for praise.
“I think the refereeing has been incredibly fair. You know, normally you think the hometown gets a few of the hometown decisions, but not in our two games and not in the games that Argentina have played against New Zealand. The refereeing seems to be far more consistent between the northern and southern hemisphere”, he said, while also pointing out the success of the Springboks have had since adding former test referee Jaco Peyper to their coaching staff.
“What Rassie (Erasmus) has done over the last few years … he’s certainly come to terms with the fact that you’ve got to be on the right side of the referee and having Peyper I think has been a masterstroke. He’s highly respected amongst international referees … so Rassie has removed himself from the direct confrontation with the referee.”
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