All Black coach Dave Rennie felt that his team ticked the boxes that needed ticking in his team’s 50-19 win over the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus that rounded off the initial part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
The next stop now will be Johannesburg next Saturday and the start of a frenetic period that will see the two top teams in world rugby clash over four consecutive weekends, culminating with the fourth test in Baltimore, USA on 12 August. Rennie and his captain for the day Codie Taylor felt that the three tour games played as a buildup have given the players a taste of South African rugby, something they did not have in their preparation for their Castle Lager Rugby Championship test matches here in 2022 and 2024.
However, Taylor was also realistic, saying after his team’s eight try to three triumph under the Loftus lights that while “the Bulls tested us in patches”, he knew that with all respect to his opponents, who did rally well in the second half after a poor start, the physicality and the intensity of the Springboks in Johannesburg next Saturday will be several levels up.
“The Boks will be asking a lot more questions, but I think we have made strides as a forward pack. We’re not a finished product but we can be happy and confident with the steps we are making,” said Taylor.
Rennie endorsed that comment, and said that some hard work had been put in to rectify some of the areas that were a concern in the 38-21 win at DHL Stadium on the opening day of the tour eight days ago.
“We put 50 points against a very good Bulls side and there was a lot that was positive,” said Rennie.
“We were playing against a team that was prepared to play. Our set piece was strong, we have made great strides in our scrumming. We created so many opportunities in this game and we made 11 line breaks to one which means we left some points out there and that is a bit frustrating, but we have ticked boxes.
“The improvement in the scrum (from the Stormers game) has been the result of a lot of hard work. There were a few things around the Stormers game we needed to work on, technical things, and full marks to Jason Ryan (the scrum coach) for what has been done to get that area of our game right. We feel we have done reasonably well on tour and now know that we have to up the ante. It’s all preparation for the Boks, who we know will come much harder at us defensively.”
Rennie has three injury concerns to sweat a bit on before the buildup week to the Ellis Park game starts on Monday, with Damian McKenzie being his chief concern. The other two are wing Will Jordan and scrumhalf Cam Roigard.
“Both Damian and Cam have been progressing well (in coming back from injury) and Cam has got through his first training session,” said Rennie.
“They are ticking enough boxes for us to feel confident they will be ready for the first test. I am less confident about Damian than I am about the other two but I think there is still a good chance he will be available to play next weekend. My expectation is that all three will be available.”
Rennie confirmed that while Richie Mo’unga, who last played flyhalf for the All Blacks in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, has arrived in the country, he won’t be considered for the Johannesburg test.
“Richie arrived late last night. He is excited and jumping out of his skin. He will spend the next week getting his head around things (after being absent in Japan for so long) and he will not be considered for the first test. We will hopefully see him play in the game against the Lions (that will be played four days after the test).”