Former Wales centre Scott Gibbs previews the series-deciding third Test in Cape Town. He talks about his surprise at Faf de Klerk’s demotion to the bench, why centurion Eben Etzebeth is unrivalled in the game and how Gareth Anscombe holds the skeleton key...
Wales have put in two big shifts and displayed character and resilience on their South African tour. Kudos to this squad of players who have been able to win that elusive away test. They are now in the rarefied air of potentially winning the test series, which was unheard of 15 days ago. I think that they will truly believe they can topple the Boks.
Wales winning the series would really upset the world order as it stands. They have been very structured in terms of their game plan and I feel they have petrol left in the tank and now need to be more expressive. If Dan Biggar, who has been battling a shoulder injury, isn’t fit enough to start the Test at Cape Town Stadium it will be interesting to see how Gareth Anscombe alters the complexion of the backline at flyhalf.
ANSCOMBE: A NATURAL RUNNER
They are two totally different standoffs. Anscombe is a natural ball-runner and reads the defensive orientation. There is a lot of his play that can accentuate the ability for Wales to play a little bit more rugby. Anscombe and Biggar are counterparts in the sense that they beautifully offset and balance each other whether starting or on the bench. If Anscombe starts at 10, he can be the skeleton key that unlocks the Springbok defence.
For the Springboks, the settled centre combination of Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am is one I revere because a lot of what they do goes unnoticed. The small nuances of De Allende are in his feet and hips. He manages to get outside the point of collision quite easily. As for Am, I think he needs a big game after a quiet first Test. He has to show people who he is and discover the form that made everybody fall in love with him.
FAF PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE
With the team from the first Test all but restored, I am surprised Jaden Hendrikse retained his place ahead of Faf de Klerk. To some degree I think the Welsh may see that as a benefit because it brought Handre Pollard closer to the ruck in the second Test. For me, Faf puts the ball a lot wider for Pollard to run onto and this selection narrows his ability to get width on it. The Welsh defence has been bent but not broken and their resolve and resilience has gained enormous traction over the incoming series.
For the Boks, who have slipped to third in the world rankings, there will be a lot of introspection about what they are all about and why they are world champions. The Boks are going to have to refocus, reset and activate pivot mode. They are going to have to discover different points of attack, whether they shift that onus off number nine or 10 or whether they start to bring runners in a wider channel off 12 and 13.
The home side need to read what’s in front of them and be adaptable and nimble in equal measure when dealing with the Welsh defence. They must make life easier for themselves rather than plough down a certain channel in which they have been disrupted and turned over.
BOKS TO PEPPER THE SKY
Wales only made 64 running metres inside an hour and South Africa failed to score a try for the first time since 2017. Both of those stats are pretty disturbing in international terms and are cause for concern when you are playing a series decider.
Both teams looked laboured in the second Test, which was a slow-moving game. I would imagine that Wales would want to find some zip in the tempo to break up what has been pretty much a structured first two Test matches, which have been underpinned by a solid kicking game, chase and a very disruptive defensive orientation.
Wales have kicked and chased well so I don’t think that kicking game is going to temper at all. If anything, it’s going to heighten. And I dare say the Boks will probably pepper the sky a little bit more because they want to put Wales under enormous pressure in the right areas of the field.
100 NOT OUT FOR ETZEBETH
In terms of Eben Etzebeth, the Springboks’ seventh and youngest test centurion in waiting, I think it’s a phenomenal achievement. It’s testament to his attitude to the game and his professionalism. He has tempered his early exuberance and operates on a different level.
I always say that it’s not the minutes in the game that matter but the game in the minutes. I think Etzebeth is one of rugby’s most beloved characters because he plays with an energy and ferocity that is unrivalled. He has always kept himself in great physical condition and whether he’s smiling or sneering on the field, it resonates with me because that is what rugby is all about and no one has done it better than Etzebeth.
I reached the 50 Test mark which was a major milestone because back then we only played four or five Tests per season. Nowadays reaching 100 Tests is achievable to most but it still takes a special individual. From game one to 100, there has been more attitude, application and production from Eben than anybody who has gone before him.
*** Gibbs was a member of the British & Irish Lions team that beat South Africa 2-1 in the 1997 series.
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