Springbok View - First Test

By Warren Gatchell

It was in Durban that the 1997 Lions beat the Springboks through clinical point-scoring opportunities with the metronomic boot of Neil Jenkins. The Springboks were the opposite: running the Lions ragged around the park but unable to capitalise when they needed to, missing six attempts at goal and outscoring the Lions nine tries to three in the overall series. The rest, as they say, is history.

History, though, has a strange way of finding its way into present psychology. From the interviews of members of the 'Bok squad over the last week, I can see that they all fully appreciate how important the first test is. Winning is a must: defeat puts a lot of pressure on the hosts and like all teams the 'Boks are vulnerable when they are forced to play catch up, be it in a series or a match.

The attendance of games at the beginning of the series was poor, pitifully so. Thankfully, as the test series grew closer and the provincial sides more meaningful the crowds started to fill the stadiums to levels we would see in our Currie Cup mid-season. The test match in Durban was sold out months ago and the atmosphere will be quite different for the Lions, completely partisan with a fair amount of Lions supporters making lots of noise compared to the hollow echoes of Rustenberg and Johannesburg.

The Lions can feel well tested and hopefully well rested for Saturday; their starting XV is brimming with talent and rugby superstars, but are they ready? In '97 Carel du Plessis made the mistake of not playing any members of the 'Bok side in the provincial warm ups - will this be looked upon again as a failure by coach Pieter de Villiers?

Six of the side that won the 2004 Tri Nations will be playing, with no less than 13 of the 22 players from the 2007 World Cup final playing this Saturday. With this sort of experience you have to think that there would be sufficient synergy and familiarity within the team to deliver.

Match fitness is very important though and while the practice sessions against the Emerging Springboks this week in Durban would have tested basics like the set piece, I'm not thoroughly convinced that the 'Boks are as ready as they could be. A number of players have recovered from injury over the past few weeks but unfortunately this Saturday we will not be able to marvel at Schalk Burger's disregard for his own personal safety.

In Heinrich Brussouw we have the best possible replacement for Burger - Brussouw single handedly slowed down the Lions ball to a snail's pace with turnover after turnover in Bloemfontein. McGeechan will surely have to rethink his ball-retention strategy as on the deck Brussouw will dominate.

Ruan Pienaar performed well in his adopted role of flyhalf during the November tests. The same was hoped of him for the 2009 Super14 season but as this game goes, Pienaar found himself spending more time recovering from injury than training on the pitch.

It would have been unfair on Pienaar to start Morney Steyn who has been South Africa's in-form flyhalf this season. It would also reflect badly upon the selectors and coaching staff but thankfully M Steyn is at hand to come off the bench if the tactics need to be changed or Pienaar has to be replaced.

Speaking of Steyn, I was delighted to see Francois Steyn selected at full back. I'm a big fan of Zane Kirchner and really rated his growth in this year's Super 14 but F Steyn brings something special to the game. Perhaps it's his unpredictability as so many people say, often confusing the opposition and sometimes his own team mates.

For a young player he has tremendous physicality and always breaks the gain line. There is also that insane boot: I haven't seen many players able to return kicks with such interest and let's not forget the drop goals. I still remember those two in Newlands which sunk Australia's hopes of a rare win in South Africa back in 2007.

The centre pairing of Adrian Jacobs and Jean de Villiers has annoyed a few fellow 'Bok supporters. I think Jacobs hasn't really shrugged the tag of being too small or defensively frail. Both of these claims are unjust as the 2008 season would prove but with Jacque Fourie on the bench the coach can bring on Fourie when the Lions legs start getting tired for those classic high-speed angled breaks.

There have also been questions about the selection of Ricky Januarie on the bench who had an indifferent Super 14. Januarie is one of those players who doesn't always perform at the top level for his club but when he puts on the green and gold you couldn't ask for a more committed player as his last-minute match-winning try in New Zealand 2008 proved.

Rory Kockett from the Sharks and Jano Vermaak of the Golden Lions were the form 2nd and 3rd choice scrumhalfs this year but Pieter de Villiers can't forget how Januarie has delivered in the past and will surely do so again as a more than able replacement for the form scrumhalf in the world, Fourie du Preez.

The rest of the Springbok side picks itself with world-class players who have been winning for the 'Boks since Jake White built the core of this team in 2004. Judging by the 'Bok selection I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of tactical kicking. This team hasn't been selected for a pure running game as coach Pieter de Villiers tried unsuccessfully to implement in the 2008 Tri Nations.

Defence is also key and I was impressed by the performance during the November internationals especially as only one try was conceded from three games in the UK. That solitary try was against a rampant Scotland pack in Murrayfield who thoroughly deserved crossing the whitewash but the match was closed out in the second half with the 'Boks winning 3 from 3 on tour.

Much was said about the weakness of the Springbok scrum at Murrayfield but it must be noted that John Smit moved back to hooker as Bismark du Plessis was injured.

In the few minutes that Smit did play at tighthead the week before in the Millennium Stadium the scrum was a stable platform against a highly rated Gethin Jenkins which says a lot about the dynamism that Smit brings to the park along with his natural leadership skills.

The Lions could edge the Boks in this area but don't be surprised if the gap isn't as great as the media would like you to believe; this area of the game would have been worked upon for the last few weeks.

Well there we have the Springbok selection for the first test. As you can see there aren't many unknowns in the team with one or two selections that won't make everybody happy. Then again in South Africa everyone is a selector so all in all it's a formidable squad, the strongest possible selection the Lions could face with Schalk Burger set to return by the 2nd test.

Combinations and experience are key and whilst the Welsh/Irish backs have looked good along with the English/Welsh front row I'm still not sure which Lions side will turn up as the provincial games were a mixed bag of close contests and runaway thumpings.

You couldn't ask for more than 6 from 6 wins though so I feel the Lions will have the confidence and talent to stay with the Boks for periods throughout the game.

At home with so much history and the prospect of another 12 years of waiting will be unthinkable to the Springboks, some of whom might retire after this series.

I predict the Springboks will win the first test by 5 points or more as they will ask a lot more questions about the Lions defense and prove to be a much harder nut to crack than the provincial sides before them.

South Africa XV v The Lions in the first of the three-test series in Durban on Saturday, 20 June:

15 Frans Steyn, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Adi Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Heinrich Brussouw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai 'The Beast' Mtawarira

16 Gurthro Steenkamp, 17 Deon Carstens, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Danie Russouw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Jacque Fourie, 22 Morne Steyn (uncapped)

Warren Gatchell is a Springbok supporter who has lived in Ireland for three years.