Clash of styles

Some of the greatest sporting contests revolve around a clash of styles – and that is exactly what Saturday’s World Cup semi-final between the Springboks and the All Blacks is shaping up to be.

You could call it the South African brawn against the New Zealand brain, although, to be fair, there is more to both sides than that. The Springboks do have creative players, and the All Blacks are not short of muscle men. Yet there is no doubt that last week’s quarter-finals were a strong pointer to the tactics we can expect in Saturday’s clash.

The Boks relied on a power game to bludgeon Wales into submission. Their pack, with the likes of Eben Etzebeth and Schalk Burger in the van, kept coming around the corner all day long to collect captain Fourie du Preez’s passes and try to bash their way over the advantage line. For most of the 80 minutes, the Boks were tackled back, yet eventually the Welsh line cracked under the unrelenting pressure.

In contrast, the All Blacks win over France was built around playing the game at high pace. Backs and forwards offloaded in the tackle with tremendous skill, and the All Blacks used width and space to torment, tease and tantalise the Frenchmen.

Perhaps one or both teams will surprise us with their approach at Twickenham on Saturday. A lot will also depend on the conditions, as rain has been forecast. But whatever tactics are employed, Springbok-All Black clashes have always been epics. And, with a place in the World Cup final at stake, the mind spins at the possibilities that await us. No wonder Springbok wing Bryan Habana said this week that he expects a classic, and he has been in his fair share of them.

The Wallabies and the Pumas, who do battle in Sunday’s other semi-final, may disagree, but in many ways Saturday’s game is the final before the final. For any Springbok player, beating the old foe in black with the silver fern on their chests is the pinnacle of the sport. So go and get ’em Boks!