Knowing the threat that Joe Schmidt brings to the Wallabies, and the unbelievable amount of planning that he will have put in ahead of Saturday’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against the Springboks, defence coach Jerry Flannery knows the breakdown battle will be key to success on Saturday for the Boks.
The World Champions have gone for an unconventional loose trio with Siya Kolisi at eight, Marco van Staden at six and Pieter-Steph du Toit at seven with all three known for their work off the ball and cleaning rucks.
The Boks have made it clear with the selections they want to protect their own ball from the hands of Carlo Tizzano and Fraser McReight among others and see that - and the quick ball they hope to get on attack - as key to their hopes in starting off the Rugby Championship on a high.
QUICK BALL KEY
Flannery, who joined the Boks last year and knows Wallaby coach Joe Schmidt very well from the latter’s time as Irish coach, made it clear the breakdown was the key area this weekend.
“I think for most teams in attack, getting quick ball is going to be the big thing for them (Wallabies),” Flannery said.
“I think when you look at how meticulously Joe Schmidt plans his plays and while they didn't show a huge amount in one to three phases, you could see that the players were really aligned to a plan that might stretch five and six phases. To retain the ball and be in the right place, you have to be really, really detailed with your breakdown. I think that if we look at that, there are two players at the breakdown instantly all the time.”
Flannery said the onus would just be on the Bok loose trio but on all fifteen players on the field to ensure they protect the ball and slow down Wallaby ball. That has been a key work-on ahead of the test this weekend.
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NEXT MATCH
🆚 Springboks
🗓️ Sunday August 17 | 1:10am AEST
🏟️ Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
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EVERY PLAYER EFFECTIVE AT THE BREAKDOWN
“I think with Australia and what I know from the way Joe Schmidt coaches, there'll be a big onus on every single player to be effective at the breakdown because they play so many phases, you can't just have a couple of dedicated cleaners,” Flannery explained.
“So for us, it's a little bit similar in that all 15 players need to be proficient in terms of our defence, in terms of how we make our initial contacts because if you give their ball carriers any momentum, that brings their breakdown players, the additional two breakdown players into the game. So that's going to be a real battle for us.
“Marco, Siya and Pieter-Steph are all really, really mobile, excellent tacklers who are comfortable on the ball. The reality is we've so many good players here that when someone gets a chance, you're just excited to see who's really going to take it when they get their opportunity because we've rotated so much and so far it hasn't bitten us.”
Flannery and the Bok management took a lot of notes from the way Australia got stronger during the recent Lions tour and how the breakdown contributed to their success in the third test in Sydney.
MORE DIRECT
“They definitely were far more direct and they got their breakdown going and I think that they used their big ball carriers to get the momentum. I think that they were much more confrontational.
“I don't think anyone thought that that was the real Australian in the first test and I think the second test, third test, they started to look a lot more like what Joe Schmidt would have been coaching.
“You got direct carries, you got instant breakdowns, quick ball. It allowed them to play with a bit of tempo, whereas in the first test against the Lions, they never got any quick ball. Everyone was praising the Lions for their defence, which was excellent, but I felt that Australia would have been irritated with how they performed in that first test, but they certainly picked it up massively over the second and third test.”
Australia are set to name their squad on Thursday.
The stage is set. Two giants.
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One Battle of Green and Gold at Ellis Park 🏟️
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