Boks loose forward trio was 'a bit light' for All Blacks challenge

After a dominant performance against the Wallabies in Pretoria, the Springboks switched up their entire back row for the All Blacks.

Marco van Staden was exceptional against Australia but missed out on selection altogether, while Duane Vermeulen and Pieter-Steph du Toit moved to the bench to make way for Kwagga Smith, Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese.

Against Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane and Ardie Savea, the new look loose trio failed to get ascendency particularly as Frizell exploded in the opening stages.

Former Springbok Robbie Kempson said that the loose forwards looked ‘a bit light’ to play a tier one team like the All Blacks.

“For me as a loose trio, they were a bit light for an All Black team,” Robbie Kempson told SuperSport’s Final Whistle panel show.

“If they were playing a mid-week game against Japan, even Tonga at the World Cup, it suits the purpose.

“But if you are going high-end Test match at the apex of where we want to be at a World Cup, I don’t think they’ll be starting against New Zealand in a quarter-final.”

“I’d definitely go with Duane [Vermeulen] and Pieter-Steph [du Toit].

Mostert and Weise were substituted shortly into the second half for the pair of experienced loosies which immediately lifted the Boks.

The defence lifted the intensity and became stronger as a result, while the maul began to fire after being completely stationary in the first half.

Swys de Bruin said that on paper the starting back row had enough size and defended the selection of the initial starters.

“If you look at Franco Mostert, he’s a lock, he says he’s 1.98m but I think he’s 1.96m. He’s a big boy,” De Bruin said.

“Kwagga is not that lanky but he’s as strong as anything. Weise was the star player in Europe. He’s the man there.

“So on paper that should be a perfect combination.”

Jonathan Mokuena questioned the balance of the back row with only one true fetcher which meant the Springboks did not slow the All Blacks’ ball down enough.

“You’ve got me thinking about last week now, let’s look at it. We’ve got Duane, Marco van Staden, strength, physical, clinical at the breakdown. This week, we only had Kwagga [as a fetcher],” he said.

“Our loose trio this week, great in terms of work rate, physicality. But in terms of slowing the ball down, getting an extra turnover, I hear what you are saying.

Swys de Bruin highlighted that the Springboks went after the Wallabies at the ‘source’, the genesis of a passage of play at line out or scrum, which they did not do in Auckland.

The All Blacks were not disrupted from the get go which made it harder for the Bok pack to slow down thereafter.

“There is a big difference, we killed the Aussies at source and we gave the ball fetchers a chance to slow that ball down,” he said.

“This time it didn’t happen, they got their ascendency.”