Israel Folau and the Wallabies outside backs will pose the greatest threat to the Springboks in Perth on Saturday, writes JON CARDINELLI.
The Bok have enjoyed a dream start to the 2017 season. Their attack has been consistent in the sense that the team has scored 35 or more points across the first five games. Their defence has conceded 23 or fewer points during the same period.
An improvement across all departments, however, will be needed when the Boks go hunting a rare win in Australia this Saturday. History tells us that the Wallabies are always a stronger side on their home patch. Indeed, the Boks have won four and lost 20 in this part of the world since the dawn of the professional era.
The Wallabies certainly made a statement with their recent showing against the All Blacks in Dunedin. It’s not often that the All Blacks concede five tries at home.
That performance would have served as a warning to the Boks. Coach Allister Coetzee has since acknowledged the threat of Folau, Kurtley Beale and others. He has intimated that the visitors will need to be on point with their defence in Perth.
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After two rounds, Folau has made 276m (the most in the Rugby Championship), two linebreaks and three tackle breaks. The Wallabies fullback has scored two tries.
Beale’s attacking stats are similarly impressive. According to alloutrugby.com, the centre has made 243m, two linebreaks, two tackle breaks and has scored two tries.
The threat will not be limited to those individuals, though. Scrumhalf Will Genia made three linebreaks in Dunedin. Centre Tevita Kuridrani and winger Henry Speight caused the All Blacks defence problems in the wider channels.
The Bok defence has made an impact in the recent matches against Argentina. No team has made more dominant tackles or forced more turnovers in the opening two rounds of the Rugby Championship.
The Boks’ set pieces are firing. Most importantly, the kicking game has improved.
Elton Jantjies has kicked more than any other player and has racked up the most kicking metres to date. That certainly hasn’t hurt the Boks’ ability to score points and tries. On the contrary, the Boks currently enjoy a slender lead at the top of the standings, thanks to their superior points-difference.
What should be a concern, however, is the standard of the one-on-one tackling. Folau, Kuridrani and others will surely look to target the Boks’ weaknesses out wide this Saturday.
Raymond Rhule missed more tackles than any other player in the three-Test series against France. After two rounds of the Rugby Championship, the winger leads this list with eight misses.
Out on the other wing, Courtnall Skosan has missed four tackles across the two games against Argentina. At this point, the Boks have the worst tackle-completion (84%) in the tournament. That should be cause for alarm.
The Wallabies will ask more questions of the Bok defence in Perth than the Pumas did in Port Elizabeth and Salta. The Boks need to address that weakness in the wider channels before it costs them a result.
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Photo: Ross Selford/EPA
