Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus hit back at suggestions his team would deliberately waste time and slow down play while omitting iconic captain Siya Kolisi from his 23 to take on great rivals New Zealand on Sunday (AEST).
The first Test of the newly coined ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ series kicks off at Ellis Park at 1.10am (AEST) with pre-game coverage on Stan Sport from 11.30pm on Saturday.
Rassie Erasmus at Stade de France. nna\sworthington
Thirty years after Sean Fitzpatrick’s ‘Incomparables’ made All Blacks history by winning a Test series in South Africa, the narrative on contrasting playing styles remains much the same.
The Kiwis want to use the ball and play at breakneck speed, while the Springboks will look to kick often, dominate collisions and set-piece.
New All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has tried to apply pressure on first Test referee Matthew Carley after cruising through tour game wins against weak Stormers, Sharks and Bulls outfits.
“We’ve played club sides where it’s been very slow. One of the lineouts against the Sharks took 50 seconds to set,” the former Wallabies boss said.
Erasmus, the two-time Rugby World Cup winning coach, employs ex-Test referee Jaco Peyper in his support staff and returned serve in a spicy press conference in Johannesburg.
“There’s certainly been a narrative out there, which is very technical around the speed of the game and the slowing down of the game,” Erasmus said.
“You can see on their social media, they are advocating this high-intensity, multiphase game, saying: ‘nobody can keep up with us.’ But there are always three truths – New Zealand’s truth, the world’s truth and our truth.”
Rennie is 6-0 since replacing Scott Robertson, but the Springboks are riding a 12-game winning streak.
Kolisi was fit to play in the first of four Tests after recovering from a hamstring injury, but Erasmus preferred young breakdown menace Paul de Villiers on the side of the scrum.
The other starting flanker, Pieter-Steph du Toit, will lead the team at South Africa’s spiritual home and intimidating rugby fortress.
“Siya trained well with us this week, and we could have selected him,” Erasmus said.
Rennie, meanwhile, named key backs Cam Roigard, Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie after all three had been under injury clouds with minor niggles.
Captain Ardie Savea is at No.8 after missing the three warm up games to refresh.
“Ardie has come back full of beans,” Rennie said.
“It was good to get his head out of footy for a few days, he spent a bit of time at home with his family, and he’s trained really hard. He came back in and connected quickly, and has been in for almost a week and a-half…
“Belief is a massive part of it when you’re going to Ellis Park to play the Springboks, it’s almost their ‘Mecca,’ but we’re really excited by the challenge.
“We’ve had good prep. We know we’re going to have to be at our best. We know we’re going to have to be disciplined, so we don’t give them easy entry into our 22 and going to have to be really accurate.
“There’ll be times when it’s an arm wrestle, and we’ll need to bar up for a big chunk of the game, but it’s Test rugby, and we know the Springboks will ask a lot of us.”
Dave Rennie at Eden Park. Phil Walter
Rennie also responded to Springboks suggestions that his players were crossing the line with brutal breakdown technique.
“We sent in clips of concerns we’ve got, and I’m sure they’ve done the same thing,” he said.
“I’m not sure why they’re trying to air that stuff in the media. I’ve got no plans on sharing any of the clips we’ve sent in. Whoever doesn’t win the first Test will say it doesn’t matter because there’s three to go. Both sides want to start well. Drawing first blood would help.”
South Africa (15-1): Damian Willemse, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Grant Williams, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit (c), Paul de Villiers, Ruan Nortjé, Eben Etzebeth, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nché
Reserves: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Zachary Porthen, Cobus Wiese, André Esterhuizen, Marco van Staden, Cobus Reinach, Manie Libbok
New Zealand (15-1): Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, Josh Moorby, Ruben Love, Cam Roigard, Ardie Savea (c), Luke Jacobson, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland, Josh Lord, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot
Reserves: Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Anton Segner, Peter Lakai, Kyle Preston, Anton Lienert-Brown, Leroy Carter