Bok Battle Samoa's Acid Test
Sep 28,2011
Samoa must upset defending champions South Africa on Friday or hope Fiji conquer Wales to reach their first World Cup quarter-final in 16 years.
The Samoans haven't got close to the Springboks in three previous World Cup encounters and face their tournament moment of truth just five days after their physically demanding 27-7 win over Fiji at Eden Park.
Samoa may still squeeze into the last eight with a bonus point loss coupled with a Fijian upset of Wales in Hamilton on Sunday.
The Springboks are unbeaten in the tournament and appear to be running into form ahead of the quarter-finals where they are likely to face fellow two-time champions Australia in Wellington.
South Africa have named their strongest available team, with returning lineout general Victor Matfield back from two games out with a hamstring injury replacing rested John Smit as captain in one of seven changes from their last start, an 87-0 drubbing of Namibia.
With Smit standing down after playing in the first three games, Bismarck du Plessis finally gets his chance at hooker after cooling his heels on the replacements bench.
"If you play any of the Pacific island teams I think the set pieces are very important. If you give them too much ball they're very dangerous so that's one thing we're focusing on," Matfield said.
"They're a brute side so it won't be easy but we're working hard to hopefully put them under pressure in the lineouts and in the scrums."
Matfield, who will lead the Springboks for the 17th time, is lining up for his 109th Test match to join Smit as the most-capped Springbok.
Coach Peter De Villiers said: "It's the first time since our first game we have the privilege to select the team from 29 fit players."
Only lock Bakkies Botha, who continues to struggle with an Achilles heel injury, was unavailable for selection.
De Villiers believes Samoa's departure from their traditional free-flowing rugby for a more structured game will make them difficult.
"It will make them more difficult to play because of the structure. They'll keep the ball for longer periods," he said.
"They will be very strong at the breakdown like they normally are. Because they went into structure they forfeit something, but they gain a lot of other things."
Discipline under pressure will be Samoa's biggest concern as they were guilty of throwing away their chances in a crucial 17-10 loss to Wales by conceding penalties at the breakdown.
It will be South Africa's composure under fire that will make them hard to tackle at North Harbour, where they will draw a big following of expats living on Auckland's north shore.
Samoa lost 42-12 to South Africa in their only World Cup quarter-final appearance in the republic in 1995 and have also lost pool games 60-10 (2003) and 59-7 (2007).
"I think it is all about attitude. You can't go into the World Cup half-hearted. You can't have the attitude that you are going to come second," Samoa skipper Mahonri Schwalger said.
Schwalger said his team was looking forward to the opportunity of testing themselves against the defending champions.
"You have to make sure you are on the top of your game if you want to compete against these guys. South Africa is the world champ and it won't be an easy game," he said.
"We will focus on what we need to do on the field. These are the games you want to play rugby for. You do not take these opportunities lightly."
SAPA
Comments (9)
Sep 28, 2011 at 14:04:54
Fight fire with fire! Traditional springbok tackling which made the boks one of the most feared teams including the AB's! The islanders and AB's love dishing it out but not good at taking it!
Sep 29, 2011 at 08:32:01
Hit the nail on the head to some degree vathom... however...
generally speaking...
Samoans as opposed to fiji and tongan island cousins seem to have a little bit more smarts and discipline to go with their size and strength.
I dont think this Samoan team will go missing when it comes to physical in fact I think they will thrive on it.
I have no doubt that this will be a cracker of a match provided some overly pedantic idiodic ref doesnt ruin it.
Sep 28, 2011 at 18:06:04
Has it ocurred to SA supporters that if WS win at the weekend it is possible that Wales and WS will go through to the knock out stages at the Bock's expense! The W Samoans are fully aware of this and will go for it. Should be interesting and, in view of the Bock's second best showing against Wales, there would be some justice to such a result. May the best team win!
Sep 29, 2011 at 00:29:52
Heinrich, Bismarck and Schalk will have to be massive at the breakdown. We need Jannie, Beast and Danie to be quick to the breakdown for the clean out. Divvy picked Bismarck cos he is targeting the breakdown area to dominate the game. It's true we would of lost the Welsh game because of their dominance at the the breakdown, but Bissie changed that when he came on. Great tactic to play Bismarck first, and hopefully crush the belief out of the Islanders.
The backline will do good provided we dominate upfront. Morne will be severely tested in this game, as I have no doubt, the big Samoans will try to intimidate him. The only guy I am really worried about in this team is Fourie DuPreez. He has a major issue with his confidence and having these big Samoans rushing at our half-backs, does'nt help at all.
But, as always, go BOKKKKKKKKKKKKE!!!!!!
Sep 29, 2011 at 01:02:32
You know, with Bizzie, Heinrich and Burger we will be potent at the breakdown.
I was watching some highlights from 07'. Fourie was head and shoulders above anyone else in terms of form. I reckon he should just watch some of those hightlights to inspire him and give him the confidence he needs.
He needs a big game!
Sep 29, 2011 at 09:55:55
we just need 2 to 3 more pillars at the rucks to secure our ball. they will try to flood that area as they did against the aussies earlier the year. that is were the aussies lost the game i felt.
they are no club side they are smart and will try to upset our ball on defence. if we counter that and retain the ball for long periods of time we will crack the defence tier's wide open. starve them of the ball and watch tme fall apart. keep the ball away from tuilagi by rush umbrella formation on defence. that will force them to stand deeper to get the required width on attack thus stopping them from gaining momentum over the gain line.
we made massive tactical errors against the welsh so i hope we have learned from it. i am very confident in our backs so i do feel this will be our acid test more so than for samoa. this will put down the marker for how far we have grown over the passed few months.
i just down like the bench split again. we will have some issues if we have injuries to some backine players. lets hope its not the case
Sep 28, 2011 at 10:22:14
They boys just have to keep it tight, play the corners and hold on to posession and none of this silly kicking stuff.
Can't wait for Friday, I hope that we can continue playing the way we did in our last two games and I hope Habana finally hits some form.
Sep 28, 2011 at 12:23:27
i agree with you. i am just worried about the breakdown. they are very smart in that area and will try to disrupt our ball possesion. so i would like to see us commit more numbers there and keep them from flooding that area. we got nailed by the welsh there. if we control that area we control them. the more numbers we suck into the rucks the more space our backs have to run at. franna and co might have a field day if he has some proper space to work his magic. if we kick either kick it behind there defence or kick out into the stands. no aimless rubbish kicking. all the back 3 play in europe so they are use to that tactic. starve them of the ball and run at them. there defence will crack if we impose our playing pattern on to them.
i still feel this might be the biggest game off our pool. if we play to our current pattern we can take them.