Despite injury concerns and uncertainty over their coach, bookmakers are still backing the All Blacks to claim Rugby Championship glory. Photo: Gallo Images
Shots fired! Kiwi pundit says Springboks don’t have the skills to trouble All Blacks
A New Zealand rugby writer believes the All Blacks could be in for some relief in their two Rugby Championship Tests against the Springboks.
Despite injury concerns and uncertainty over their coach, bookmakers are still backing the All Blacks to claim Rugby Championship glory. Photo: Gallo Images
A rugby writer in New Zealand believes the All Blacks could actually be in for some relief when the two Rugby Championship Tests against the Springboks get under way next month.
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The All Blacks are still smarting after suffering a historic 2-1 series defeat to Ireland on home soil, and they must now prepare to travel to Mzansi to take on the Springboks in the first two matches of their Rugby Championship campaign.
The Springboks and All Blacks will clash in back-to-back Tests
The first Test takes place at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, 6 August, followed by the second Test at Ellis Park a week later.
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One thing counting in their favour, according to New Zealand rugby writer Ben Smith, is that the Springboks aren’t blessed with the kind of creative running and offensive skills that Ireland possess.
“There are so many areas of concern for the All Blacks it’s hard to know where to start, but the good news is that when they next play the Springboks in South Africa, they will not have to play the world’s best structured attack,” Smith said in his column for Rugby Pass.
“The Boks cannot run anything like Ireland can, so the reads will be easier and the defence will not need to improve to see better results. It will be direct, physical, unimaginative stuff that the All Blacks will just have to man up for,” he added.
Should the Springboks try to play like the Irish, Smith said, it will benefit the All Blacks.
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“The best thing Foster could hope for would be for the Springboks to get ahead of themselves and copy Ireland’s formula, as they would not doubt implode without the same level of skills and the All Blacks counter-attack game would run riot.”
Smith acknowledged, however, that the All Blacks should be considered underdogs for the upcoming clashes.
“After a historically bad run against France and Ireland, they will travel to South Africa as underdogs. The Springboks have to be short favourites at home to sweep them over the two tests purely on this alone.
“Expectations are now terribly low for this All Blacks side that most would expect one, if not two, losses in the Republic.
“But the Springboks are not Ireland, so the script will be written differently. All the expectations now weigh on South Africa whose adoring fans are desperate to be crowned the world’s best again.”
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