The three most important players for the All Blacks and Springboks

The fun and games of the Greatest Rivalry Tour are over, and now it’s time to get deadly serious.

Back-to-back Rugby World Cup Winners host the world number two in an epic four-Test match marathon across two continents.

Team tactics have been broadly speculated on, coaching styles have been analysed, and dark art tactics have been scrutinised openly in the media, but in just a few short days all will be revealed.

Although the two best sides in the world will only win if they play as teams, there are individuals amongst these behemoths of the game that will have substantial influence over the game, and should they be slightly off, injured, or absent from selection, then the opposition will gain the upper hand.

Springboks

1. Jesse Kriel, Outside Centre

It may appear strange, or even bizarre to some people, that an outside centre appears first on this list; many people would guess that any side would rely most on personnel in the front row, but for the Boks, this is not the case this tour.

The main reason for this is the enviable depth and immense talent the Springboks have in their propping stock. 

Ox Nche, Thomas Du Toit, Wilco Louw, Gerhard Steenkamp, the list goes on and on, and many of these power scrummagers would start if not be in the matchday 23 for most nations.

The loss of one player here or there would not rock the Springboks’ ability to go about their business or rob them of a strength; however, the loss of Kriel would.

Outside centre is the most difficult position to defend at in rugby, and it is an even bigger challenge when you are part of such an aggressive rush defence as the Springboks have.

Kriel’s ability to read the attack, to make split-second decisions and to make crucial tackles is world-class, and there are few in the world that match him for his raw athleticism and strength. 

There’s also an element of Kreil having such a longstanding partnership with inside centre Damien de Allende. In fact, the pair are now the most capped centre pairing as a duo in Springboks history, overtaking the great Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie.

While De Allende plays a big role in this partnership, Kriel is the glue of the backline, and he is irreplaceable.

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2. Malcolm Marx, Hooker

While the front row is well stocked as mentioned, and the hooking stocks have some notable men as well, there is no one that is in the same league as Marx.

A man mountain is perhaps the only fair and accurate description, but how a man so big can get so low and become an immovable object when pilfering a ball is a true question of physics.

While Andre-Hugo Venter is a good replacement, and 39-year-old Deon Fourie terrorised the All Blacks’ breakdown in the opening match of the Greatest Rivalry Tour, Marx’s size, power, work rate, and game nous put him in a world of his own.

He knows what it takes to win big matches; he knows what it takes to beat the All Blacks, and whether it’s adding his shunt to the scrum, muscle in defence, or power attacking the Kiwis’ line, Marx is not someone who can be replaced.

Sometimes it’s just a question of class, and Marx is as classy as they come.

3. Cobus Reinach, Halfback

While a lot of the focus will be on the Stormers’ wonderkid Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the way rugby is being played and officiated means that halfbacks are actually the main drivers of the game.

While many will say Stormers halfback Grant Williams is just as good, if not better than Cobus, they would be grossly undervaluing Reinach’s ability to control tempo, and for a side like the Boks, that’s crucial.

It was evident in Argentina that Reinach was walking a fine line on the ‘five-second use it’ rule, but that is his prerogative.

It certainly aided the Springboks to forward their game plan, a plan that is likely to be replicated in the first Test at the weekend.

While the Springboks won’t be all ‘set-piece to set-piece’ and they will certainly look to inject pace and strike into their play, having Reinach at halfback will be a great foil for whoever is steering the ship from flyhalf.

Whoever is playing no.10 will be immaterial if the Boks get their way and can play to their blueprint.

Sacha is elite with ball in hand, Williams is lightning from the base, but that is not how the Boks will beat this All Blacks side. Reinach is crucial to the Springboks playing their best and most dominant rugby.

A special mention must also go to Damien Willemse, who is perhaps also irreplaceable at fullback, seeing as the jack of all trades covers so many positions almost as well as any master does.

All Blacks

1. Cam Roigard, Halfback

This is no secret: Roigard is imperative for the All Blacks’ ability to play their style and to win Test matches.

As mentioned for Reinach, halfbacks often dictate gainline, momentum, and territory; they are now the generals of the team.

It started with Antoine Dupont for France; it’s been evident with Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park, and now it’s clear with Roigard for New Zealand.

It’s not that the All Blacks don’t have great game-drivers at flyhalf and fullback; in fact, they are all stellar and vastly experienced for the most part, but as mentioned, with the state of the game as it is, no.9s touch the ball the most, dictate tempo, and make the big calls.

This is also a tip of the cap to just how far in front Roigard is of the other halfbacks in Cortez Ratima and Kyle Preston; he is ahead of the pack by some margin.

Whether it’s his core skillset, his running game, or the ability to read the play, Roigard is a generational talent for the All Blacks, and it’s no wonder he has been wrapped in cotton wool so far.

However, he lacks the feats and experience to be on the same level as Dupont and Gibson-Park, as of yet.

2. Fletcher Newell, Tighthead Prop

Right here is a guy with the weight of the world, and he will have the weight of the Springboks’ pack, pushing down on his shoulders.

While he is not the best tighthead scrummager in the All Blacks squad, that title appears to lie with veteran Tyrell Lomax; Newell’s full-fitness status has him as a vital part of the All Blacks team.

Lomax is not yet back to his absolute best after a lengthy injury layoff, and while he is also a very important part of the puzzle, Newell will likely be made to bear the brunt of the challenge in the earlier Tests.

This is a great one-two punch for the All Blacks to have, but the Newell-Lomax axis is imperative for the All Blacks’ bid to keep the set-piece battle in the balance, for if even one of these two falters, the Springboks will have their way at scrum time.

3. Jordie Barrett

Just like the man inside the five-eighth is important, so is the man outside him, and with Hurricanes’ flyhalf Ruben Love shaping to don the famous jersey, Barrett’s role has become all the more imperative.

Ellis Park in Johannesburg is one of the most hostile places to play in the world for a visiting team, and at 1,753 metres above sea-level, it will require all hands on deck to ensure the team is being driven into the right parts of the field.

Barrett is a world-class triple threat; he runs, kicks, and passes all as well as any other back, and his large stature means you aren’t going through him.

To have this sort of player outside you as a flyhalf is a dream come true, and with the weapons able to be deployed by South Africa in the loose forwards as well as the backline, they will need a staunch character in the No.12 Jersey.

While Roigard dictates tempo at halfback, Barrett at inside centre will be the eyes and ears to his flyhalf, and no one is giving better communication than Jordie.

While his skill set will be invaluable, it will be his ability to find space in attack and close space in defence with his outside men that makes him such an indispensable player for the All Blacks.

While Anton Leinart-Brown is also an experienced campaigner, there has been nothing in his recent form to suggest that he is close to Jordie’s level at the moment.

While the battle of the flyhalves is often a focal point between these two sides, there are far more influential members throughout both sides for this first clash.

This tour will be won by the better team, but the best teams have special players, and this group of players will be unmatched in their ability to influence their side’s ambitions to win the inaugural Greatest Rivalry Tour.