Springboks

Springboks set for new lineout test

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All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock

Sam Whitelock says the All Blacks will go into the clash against the Springboks at Newlands with an improved lineout strategy. JON CARDINELLI reports.

Malcolm Marx and Franco Mostert must be dreading another encounter with lineout giant Sam Whitelock. The All Blacks set-piece maestro was at the heart of the Crusaders’ success in the Super Rugby final, a game that witnessed the New Zealanders winning three lineouts on the Lions’ feed.

Whitelock was just as influential in the clash between the All Blacks and Springboks in Albany. The Springboks blew hot and cold at the scrums, while their lineout performance was an absolute shambles. According to alloutrugby.com, the Boks were guilty of five poor lineout feeds on that occasion.

Marx and the Bok forwards will have plenty to prove in the next clash against the All Blacks at Newlands. The hosts have to secure the ball at the set pieces if they are going to ask questions of New Zealand’s defence.

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Meanwhile, the All Blacks have put the past behind them and are currently thinking up new and innovative ways to compromise the Springboks at the scrums and lineouts. Whitelock, one of the world’s leading exponents of the lineout, said that the visitors would also need to be flexible on the day.

‘The past doesn’t really matter in this case,’ Whitelock said in reference to the All Blacks’ lineout success against the Boks in Albany. ‘You can plan for it as much as you want, but there are heaps of ways to win the ball at the lineout.

‘Every team has their own style, so you have to be prepared to adjust every week, firstly for the opposition, and then according to what’s happening in the game itself. We’re looking to improve on our recent performances, and we certainly won’t be sticking to anything that’s worked in the past.

‘The Boks should also be better [in that area] and so it could come down to which team adjusts the best on the day.’

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The Bok scrum has come in for criticism in the wake of its shaky performance against Australia in Bloemfontein. The All Blacks, however, haven’t forgotten about what transpired three weeks ago in Albany. The hosts went on to win 57-0, but certainly didn’t have everything their own way at scrum-time.

‘They have a pretty strong scrum, and they gave us a bit of a touch-up the last time we met,’ said All Blacks hooker Dane Coles. ‘They may try to target us in that area again at Newlands on Saturday.

‘Our scrum improved in the recent game against Argentina, though. Like Sam said, we just have to be able to adjust to the challenge on the day.

‘We don’t have much time to prepare for the next game [having only arrived in Cape Town on Monday] so training will be scaled down over the next few days. It’s just about getting the little things right and filling up the tank.

‘We’re expecting a big contest at Newlands, and we’re certainly not going to shy away from the challenge.’

Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images