Super Rugby star highlights how the Springboks can beat All Blacks
Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall says the All Blacks need to front up in two key areas of their game if they are to defeat the high-flying Springboks next month.
After a two-year absence from international rugby amid concerns regarding Covid-19, the Springboks backed up their 2019 World Cup triumph with a test series win over the British and Irish Lions over the weekend.
Their status as World Cup champions, World Rugby’s top-ranked side and the first team to defeat the British and Irish Lions in a test series in 12 years leaves them as the team to beat on the international stage.
It also sets up a tantalising return to the Rugby Championship for the South Africans after they dropped out of the competition last year in the midst of the global pandemic.
The Springboks, who won the truncated 2019 edition of the Rugby Championship in their last tournament appearance, will mark their return to the competition this weekend when they host Argentina in Port Elizabeth.
The headline acts of this year’s Rugby Championship, though, are the back-to-back clashes between the All Blacks and Springboks scheduled to be played in Dunedin and Auckland in September and October.
Those matches will be the first contests between the traditional rivals since 2019, when the All Blacks and Springboks drew 16-all in the Rugby Championship before the Kiwis beat the South Africans 23-13 in the pool stages of the World Cup.
However, given South Africa’s recent successes, the Springboks may fancy their chances heading into their upcoming matches against the All Blacks in what promises to be a pair of box office encounters.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Hall highlighted two key areas the Springboks will look to take advantage of against the All Blacks as they aim to extend their unbeaten run on Kiwi soil to three straight matches.
One of those key areas, Hall said, is the aerial contest, which was a big sticking point throughout the Lions series, while the other is the battle at the breakdown.
The three-time Super Rugby and two-time Super Rugby Aotearoa champion halfback suggested that South Africa’s big, heavy forward pack are capable of slowing the opposition’s ball down at the ruck.
That, he said, nips the opposition’s attack at the bud and allows the South African defensive line to get set and provide line speed pressure that nullifies an already stagnant attacking line.
The All Blacks may have one hand on the Bledisloe Cup but they’ll need to up their game ahead of the upcoming Rugby Championship, kicking off this weekend. #NZLvAUS #AllBlacks
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— The XV Rugby (@TheXV) August 10, 2021
Hall added the precision of South Africa’s box kicking and their efficient escorting ability proved to be key in their series success over the Lions.
“Two things that they [the Springboks] would probably have to nail is obviously the aerial battle,” Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“You see, in the Lions series, they were really good at the kick execution, and then flooding the rucks to be able to slow down the ball for then their line to get set and get width and then to bring that line speed pressure.
“Especially with the big, physical men that they have, they have the ability to slow down the ball and, in turn, set up the Lions to not be able to play, and then to be able to execute with their box kicks.
“So, I think it’s going to be really important, our attack off their kick escorts and being able to escort right to get our guys an opportunity to win the ball, and our attack off that, and then I just think our breakdown is going to be massive.”
Hall made note of how the All Blacks thrived during their 33-25 Bledisloe Cup win over the Wallabies over the weekend when they were able to gain ascendency up front through dominant ball carries and effective breakdown play.
“If you look around the weekend, when we’re playing well and we’re playing on top of teams, when we did score our points, we were going through them with boys going through, good footwork, going through them, really good cleans, and then quick ball for Nuggy [Aaron Smith] to be able to play on top of them.”
However, the 29-year-old also acknowledged how the All Blacks have failed in that area since the last World Cup as he pinpointed their inability to win the breakdown battle as they key reason behind their losses to the Wallabies and Los Pumas last year.
While the All Blacks remain undefeated this year, they have again encountered problems at the breakdown over the past few weeks, most notably in the first test against Fiji last month.
Hall said those shortcomings on the physicality front need to be addressed if the All Blacks are to defeat the Springboks.
Nothing less than a polished 80-minute performance by the Wallabies on Saturday will stop the All Blacks from retaining the Bledisloe Cup for an 19th straight year. #Wallabies #BledisloeCup https://t.co/zKVoQ24801
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 10, 2021
“If we don’t get that right, and we saw scenes of that last year with Argentina and Australia in the test matches that we did lose, we lost that breakdown battle,” he told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“So, if you’re the South Africans, you’re probably thinking, ‘If we can nail that physicality battle’, knowing that us Kiwis want to play a little bit more, then we’re going to fall back into their trap of some of the things that the Lions did … and then the South Africans were able to pounce on that.”
Ex-All Blacks hooker James Parsons added the New Zealanders will need to find a way to negate South Africa’s defensive line speed.
The former two-test international suggested attacking kicks and taking advantage of the experimental 50/22 law could prove to be valuable assets for the All Blacks against the Springboks.
Parsons also highlighted Springboks midfielder Lukhanyo Am as a particularly astute defender who could deny the All Blacks space out wide to attack from.
“I think they [the All Blacks] would have to work out how they can manipulate their D [the Springboks’ defence], work out how they can manipulate their D, change their D to work on their terms,” Parsons told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“Whether it was attacking kicks or utilising this new 50/22 or somehow making their rush D have to adjust.
“It could be a classic chip and chase with Richie [Mo’unga] or Beady [Beauden Barrett] in behind, because there is a bit of space in behind there.
“Not over there [in the outside channels], because … Am is quite good at covering both and getting back, but there could be some space in behind there [the defensive line].
“It would be that balance of attack and run and kick and how you manipulate their D to open up opportunities for yourself on attack.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
8 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to comments