MARCO van Staden will earn his 22nd Test cap for the Springboks this weekend when they play the Wallabies in Perth. AFP
IT was not that long ago when then-Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber raised a few eyebrows when he made wholesale changes to his match-23 ahead of a Test against Wales.
At the time, many questioned the wisdom of such rotation in July 2022 against the Welsh in Bloemfontein.
The Boks narrowly won the first clash 32-29 a week earlier at Loftus Versfeld, and the 19 changes for the follow-up match sparked serious debate.
The justification for the selection by Nienaber and Co was the need to build depth in the squad for the Rugby World Cup a year later, especially after Covid wiped out the capacity to develop the squad in 2020 and 2021.
What followed on the sprawling field of the Free State Stadium was a disjointed performance, and the first victory for the Red Dragons in South Africa – a narrow 13-12 win that was celebrated with much vigour by the visitors.
Marco van Staden on the breakdown battle: “There has been a big focus on that area of the game this week and to correct the wrongs of last week” - more here: https://t.co/XohflVqwOq 😤#ForeverGreenForeverGold #Springboks pic.twitter.com/Fy8XO2ydxU
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 14, 2024
In making 10 changes to the match-23 that dismantled the Wallabies 33-7 last weekend for their second clash of the Rugby Championship in Perth on Saturday (11.45am SA time start) against the same opposition, Bok mentor Rassie Erasmus’ selection tactic is not as extreme, even though he has been singing from the same hymn sheet as back in 2022.
The coach has insisted that building to the next World Cup in 2027 is just as important as winning this iteration of the Rugby Championship.
As an aside, no less than 10 players who will face the Wallabies this weekend at Optus Stadium were also involved in that defeat two years ago – Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Ruan Nortjé, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jesse Kriel, Aphelele Fassi, Malcolm Marx, Vincent Koch, Grant Williams and Handré Pollard.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a disruption. I don’t think this team needs any more motivation than we currently have for this match. Everyone wants to use their opportunity ...”
Flank Marco van Staden was not in that team, but ‘Eskom’ and his teammates have faced similar queries regarding their readiness, and the fear that there might be a lack of cohesion come game-day again.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a disruption,” Van Staden insisted yesterday from the capital of Western Australia.
“I don’t think this team needs any more motivation than we currently have for this match. Everyone wants to use their opportunity...”
https://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/springboks/evan-roos-did-enough-to-justify-his-selection-in-the-springboks-third-test-against-wales-db7dad44-4fb4-4044-acba-2a830ace5db8Although the starting pack has undergone a complete rework – only Pieter-Steph du Toit remains in the front eight from the previous encounter – Van Staden is confident they have the tools to reign supreme again against their hosts.
It helps that he is joined by the familiar faces of Bulls teammates Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Nortjé and Elrigh Louw.
“It will help within the forwards,” the 28-year-old agreed.
“We train together and we play together at the Bulls, so we know each other well. Our training has been high intensity this week, and we will get a lot of confidence out of those sessions.
“It has been a very good week for us. We can all take that forward. It won’t just be about us who play together at the Bulls, but rather as a pack of forwards that have trained well together this week.”
Van Staden will earn his 22nd Test cap this weekend, and slotting in at No 6, he will be expected to protect possession at ruck time, while working hard to turn over possession with his ground play and putting in massive ball-carries.
Last week, the Boks got somewhat annoyed by their lack of focus at the breakdown, conceding six turnovers to the four they won.
With the suspicion that the Boks won’t be completely aligned, it is an area that the Aussies might well look to expose to greater effect in Perth.
Said Van Staden on that possibility: “The breakdown is a big part of the game. This week we have been focusing on what we can control, and we will try to rectify our mistakes from last week.
“If they come at us again with the same tactic as last week at the breakdown, we will be prepared for it. We have put a lot of focus on what we can control and what we can do better on the day,” he concluded.
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