Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

'They've outmuscled us': Retallick's plan to overcome Springboks

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

All Blacks vice-captain Brodie Retallick has lifted the lid on how his side plans to defeat the Springboks in their Rugby Championship clash in Townsville this weekend.

ADVERTISEMENT

The match holds plenty of significance with it being the 100th test between New Zealand and South Africa, coming a century after their first meeting in Dunedin.

Speaking to media on Monday, Retallick made it clear the All Blacks are using the momentous occasion as inspiration as they look to secure the Rugby Championship title for the first time in three years.

Video Spacer

How can the Springboks bounce back for 100th test against All Blacks? | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

Video Spacer

How can the Springboks bounce back for 100th test against All Blacks? | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

“It’s going to be a massive occasion, 100th test between the two nations and we’re going into battle with each other. They’re the current world champions and they’ve earned that,” he said.

“Obviously we didn’t manage to do that in 2019, so I’m sure it’ll be a good one.”

The magnitude of the titanic clash isn’t likely to be marred by the recent form of the Springboks, who have fallen to second in the world rankings and trail the All Blacks by 10 points on the Rugby Championship table after falling to consecutive losses against the Wallabies over the past fortnight.

As such, two bonus-point wins are required from the South Africans against the Kiwis if they are to retain the Rugby Championship crown two years after they last won it.

However, major doubts have been cast on their title hopes following their performances against the Australians after their conservative style of play was successfully countered by a free-flowing, attacking brand of rugby implemented by the Wallabies.

ADVERTISEMENT

Under head coach Dave Rennie, Australia have adopted a similar style of play to that of the All Blacks, and after the New Zealanders cruised to a successful Bledisloe Cup defence against their trans-Tasman rivals in recent weeks, Ian Foster’s men are heavily tipped to get the job done against the Springboks.

Even in spite of his unbeaten record against South Africa at test level, Retallick has maintained that much is easier said than done, though, as pinpointed where the Springboks have had the edge over the All Blacks in years gone by.

“I think where they’ve caught us out the last couple of times was, when they did, through their line speed, defensively,” the 30-year-old lock said.

“They’ve outmuscled us and we haven’t been able to break them down through our attack and then they’ve punished us.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I think, physically, you’ve always got the set piece battle, but dealing with their line speed and being able to make breaches and then convert them is going to be massive.”

According to the 87-test veteran, the best way for the All Blacks to negate South Africa’s in-your-face defence is by continuing to play positively and avoiding continual set piece battles, an aspect of the game the Springboks are strong in.

“From our point of view, it’s what we do with the ball, and we don’t want to get caught up on going set piece to set piece,” Retallick said.

“If that does happen in periods, then we need to be able to control it and front there, but I think, like we touched on just before, the freedom the boys are playing with and using the ball and creating opportunities is no doubt how we want to play our game.”

Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Storm clouds gather over Biarritz with owner poised to bail out Storm clouds gather over Biarritz with owner poised to bail out
Search