Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'They look quite flat': How the Springboks can nullify the All Blacks

New Zealand's Beauden Barrett (L) and TJ Perenara look to the big screen during the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and Argentina at Sky Stadium in Wellington on August 10, 2024. (Photo by Grant Down / AFP)

Schalk Burger has described South Africa’s 2023 Rugby Championship encounter with the All Blacks as the “perfect example” of how the world champions should not play against their rivals.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 2007 World Cup winner singled out the first 30 minutes of that match at Mt Smart Stadium last year as an exemplar of how the Springboks played into the All Blacks’ hands, as the hosts played with plenty of width to build a 20-3 half-time lead before winning the match 35-20. 

Speaking on the latest episode of RugbyPass TV’s Boks OfficeBurger said that Rassie Erasmus’s side must force the All Blacks to “tighten up” ahead of their first meeting on Saturday at Ellis Park since the World Cup final last year.

Video Spacer

Percy Montgomery on the greatest players he played with and against | RPTV

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:48
Loaded: 0.00%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:48
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Percy Montgomery on the greatest players he played with and against | RPTV

    Springbok legend Percy Montgomery chats about some of the All Black greats in the latest episode of Boks Office, coming soon to RugbyPass TV.

    COMING SOON

    The key to winning the match is to “boss that gainline”, according to the former flanker, and he believes that usually comes from playing with width for the All Blacks.

    On the other hand, it does not matter to Burger how the Springboks win that gainline battle with the ball, whether that is by playing direct or by finding space out wide under the new philosophy from attack coach Tony Brown.

    Fixture
    Rugby Championship
    South Africa
    31 - 27
    Full-time
    New Zealand
    All Stats and Data

    “Where you can’t underestimate them is how physical the All Blacks are, they are bloody hard,” the former World Rugby player of the year said.

    “And they know when they play against the Boks, in set piece they always find a way to compete. The breakdown, they always seem to get a couple of turnovers. You’ve got to try and boss that gainline as the Boks, it doesn’t matter how we do it, whether it’s passing it out the back, finding space out wide. But gainline’s key for us.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “It’s similar to their attack. If you get them to carry and tighten up, then they look quite flat, the All Blacks. But when they play an offloading game, they kick contestables, you don’t form a ruck first off, they’ve got the ability to offload and get some of their ball players in space – Mt Smart was a perfect example of that where the Boks were chasing shadows for the first 30 minutes.”

    Burger noted that in the past the way to beat the Boks was to play very little rugby, stating that having targets to hit is what “gets us South Africans going”. He singled out England’s narrow loss to Erasmus’ side at the World Cup last year as the blueprint for victory.

    Times have changed though, and the South African no longer thinks the Boks get their energy from their defence, rather their attack under Brown. This is a new puzzle to solve for the All Blacks then, though they had not successfully solved the last one.

    “We often find a lot of space when we do play against them, but it’s also not overplaying your hand,” Burger said.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “It will be interesting to see what Razor does. You go back to that Rugby World Cup final, we came from the semi where England didn’t play any rugby. There were no targets for us to hit, and that’s what gets us South Africans going.

    “If they play a kick-early game, the long game, our back three will run it back first and foremost, but if they don’t create those targets where Pieter-Steph [du Toit] makes 28 tackles and nine of them are showstoppers and it seems all big nine were on Jordie Barrett, where does our energy come from? From our latest philosophy, I think our energy will come from our attack.”

    Related

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

    Argentina v France | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Men's Match Highlights

    New Zealand v Australia | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Women's Match Highlights

    Tokyo Sungoliath vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    Reds vs Force | Super Rugby W 2025 | Full Match Replay

    The Rise of Kenya | The Report

    New Zealand in Hong Kong | Brady Rush | Sevens Wonders | Episode 4

    The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    5 Comments
    F
    Forward pass 221 days ago

    I watched SA v Aus and sorry but their backline looked very average mr Brown. Oh they pass alright but under pressure thats going to be a real question mark as they havnt had the sort of pressure NZ will bring. Browns backs look clunky. Like they are practising. I think it was 6 tries by forwards v Aus and 3 from the backs. 2 of those 3 were simply individual talent and nothing to do with a backline improvement.

    P
    PB 220 days ago

    And how much pressure did the AB’s have in the second test?

    When they were under the kind of pressure the Boks bring, they got a spanking at home.

    How many AB tries are individual brilliance. Talk about backs looking clunky, rewind to the WC final.

    H
    Hellhound 222 days ago

    It depends on the halfback combination what game style will be played. If it's CR and SFM, then it will be attacking rugby. If it's GW and Pollard, it will be forward power. The only team who can really match the Boks is the AB's. Amount of caps will count for nothing. They will meet pound for pound. There will be no knockout. It will be a close contest. It will be THE TESTS of the year, and for these 2 tests we will see the most viewership. It's the tests that everyone have been waiting for, from all countries. I can't wait.

    S
    SK 222 days ago

    I reckon the lineout is where SA will be weak, take apart their set piece and send their lineout on a bad trajectory and the AB's can win. Not only that but if the AB's hold the scrum as well then they can go the distance. Alot of Bok fans will not be familiar with some of the AB names but a couple of those young big boys like Tamaiti Williams and Asafo Amua will prove difficult to move and could make the difference in the scrum.

    P
    PB 219 days ago

    So in your opinion it would be easy to move Steenekamp, Marx, and Malherbe?

    T
    Toaster 222 days ago

    Williams is a real talent and very young

    Tosi would be a great addition but needs some scrummaging work

    At 145kg and a former number 8 he has wheels and great skills like Williams


    Aumua has been around for a while but I’m a touch worried about him up against Marx off the bench


    Good with ball in hand though


    Taukei’aho is missed

    It’s a shame De Groot is injured as Williams impact would be greater

    Load More Comments

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    N
    Noah roman 18 minutes ago
    What Newcastle 'can’t legislate for' as they face fellow basement dwellers

    BITCOIN RECOMMENDED EXPERT HIRE DIGITAL TECH GUARD RECOVERY SERVICES


    The ink doesn't wash off, but I thought my Bitcoin was gone forever. I'd stashed $130,000 worth of crypto away to turn my tattoo parlor into a fantasy parlor—black walls, neon lights, the hum of needles mixed with classic rock music. But fate is cruelly ironic.One night, having spent an eight-hour shift etching half a snake wrapped around a dagger, I came home to find the shop robbed. Cash register emptied out, machines thrown around like playthings, and the worst of all, my phone stolen. That phone had my 2FA codes, the sacred keys to my digital riches.Panic washed over me like road rash on bare flesh. Without 2FA, my Bitcoin was more secure than a welded-shut vault. I plunged into horror. Every hour out of reach was like watching a masterpiece rot in the sun.Desperate, I griped to a client at a cover-up session. He had a Bitcoin logo stitched on his sleeve, alongside a skull laughing maniacally in a Digital hat. He leaned back in the chair, grinning like an old road captain, and said, "Brother, you need Digital Tech Guard Recovery. Those guys do magic."So, taking his tip, I did call them up. From the very first phone call, they were sharper than a new needle. They were in the business—talking carrier records, blockchain synchronization, and security breaches like old truckers swapping stories of carburetor war battles and close calls.They labored fast. Five days went by before I got the call. "We got it," the technician said. My heart was revving like a helicopter engine. My Bitcoin was once more in my hands, safe and sound.The Digitals did not cease. They guided me through backups, multi-device login, and offline wallets. "One key in your pocket, another in the wind," they said. Biker street smarts meets crypto security.Now, my studio is thriving. That neon sign? It glows brighter than ever. And on my forearm? A new tattoo: a Digital hat, with flames and Bitcoin logos surrounding it. A reminder that in this world, both on the road and on the internet, it's not about not falling, it's about knowing who you can call to pick you up. Digital Tech Guard Recovery: They're by your side, even when the ride gets rocky

    WhatsApp: +1 (443) 859 - 2886   Email @ digitaltechguard.com Telegram: digitaltechguard.com   Website link: digitaltechguard.com

    0 Go to comments
    C
    ChristelLoewe 2 hours ago
    Scarlets punish ill disciplined Ospreys to keep play-off hopes alive

    REACH OUT TO TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY FOR A GREAT JOB

    WhatsApp +15617263697

    Fine wine and crypto do not always blend well, especially after a few drinks. I learned this the hard way after a record harvest at my vineyard. Swirling an old Cabernet under the stars, I was a financial connoisseur, my $720,000 Bitcoin wallet aging well for future returns. But the next morning, with a hangover as intense as my Merlion, I realized I'd forgotten my wallet password. Even worse, my recovery phrase, which I'd written down in my wine cellar notebook, had vanished. My eager new assistant had tidied up, mistaking my scribbled security notes for wine tasting spillage, and donated the entire book to the recycling gods. I dove into the garbage cans like a desperate sommelier searching for a quality grape but came up with broken dreams and soggy cardboard. Panic set in faster than cork taint. I faced the bitter truth: my digital fortune was bottled up tighter than a corked bottle with no opener. I sank into denial, questioning whether my future vineyard expansion would now be reduced to selling boxed wine. I panicked, pored over industry publications, and came across a wine industry newsletter that mentioned Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Their slogan, something playful about "decanting lost crypto," seemed like a sign from God. I contacted them, half-expecting snobbery or skepticism. What I received instead were tech wizards who tackled my case with humor and precision. Their team labored over my case like veteran sommeliers dissecting terroir. They painstakingly reconstructed transaction flows, timestamp records, and subtle wallet behavior. It was as if I was watching wine connoisseurs sniff out hints of blackcurrant and oak, but with algorithms and blockchain forensics. Each day, they provided updates with the finesse of tasting notes. “We’re detecting progress, notes of potential access, hints of password recovery on the finish.” Their creativity lightened my anxiety, and ten days later, they uncorked my digital vault. When I saw my Bitcoin balance restored, I nearly opened a bottle of my best vintage at 9 AM. My assistant and I shared a hearty laugh; he's still working for me, but now he labels my ledgers with "DO NOT TOUCH" in bold. My wine business is thriving thanks to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, and I have a new rule: passwords before Pinot. Cheers to their genius!

    1 Go to comments
    C
    ChristelLoewe 3 hours ago
    Blues lose All Black for season ahead of Hurricanes derby

    REACH OUT TO TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY FOR A GREAT JOB

    WhatsApp +15617263697

    Fine wine and crypto do not always blend well, especially after a few drinks. I learned this the hard way after a record harvest at my vineyard. Swirling an old Cabernet under the stars, I was a financial connoisseur, my $720,000 Bitcoin wallet aging well for future returns. But the next morning, with a hangover as intense as my Merlion, I realized I'd forgotten my wallet password. Even worse, my recovery phrase, which I'd written down in my wine cellar notebook, had vanished. My eager new assistant had tidied up, mistaking my scribbled security notes for wine tasting spillage, and donated the entire book to the recycling gods. I dove into the garbage cans like a desperate sommelier searching for a quality grape but came up with broken dreams and soggy cardboard. Panic set in faster than cork taint. I faced the bitter truth: my digital fortune was bottled up tighter than a corked bottle with no opener. I sank into denial, questioning whether my future vineyard expansion would now be reduced to selling boxed wine. I panicked, pored over industry publications, and came across a wine industry newsletter that mentioned Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Their slogan, something playful about "decanting lost crypto," seemed like a sign from God. I contacted them, half-expecting snobbery or skepticism. What I received instead were tech wizards who tackled my case with humor and precision. Their team labored over my case like veteran sommeliers dissecting terroir. They painstakingly reconstructed transaction flows, timestamp records, and subtle wallet behavior. It was as if I was watching wine connoisseurs sniff out hints of blackcurrant and oak, but with algorithms and blockchain forensics. Each day, they provided updates with the finesse of tasting notes. “We’re detecting progress, notes of potential access, hints of password recovery on the finish.” Their creativity lightened my anxiety, and ten days later, they uncorked my digital vault. When I saw my Bitcoin balance restored, I nearly opened a bottle of my best vintage at 9 AM. My assistant and I shared a hearty laugh; he's still working for me, but now he labels my ledgers with "DO NOT TOUCH" in bold. My wine business is thriving thanks to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, and I have a new rule: passwords before Pinot. Cheers to their genius!

    3 Go to comments
    LONG READ
    LONG READ No definites, but which Wales players could still make Lions squad? No definites, but which Wales players could still make Lions squad?
    Search