Damian de Allende says preparation remains the foundation of the Springboks’ defensive system as they prepare to face the All Blacks for a fourth consecutive weekend.
The experienced centre has spent much of his career operating in the most congested part of the rugby field, but says there is no preference when it comes to his defensive assignments.
“For me personally, I just defend what’s in front of me. That’s the way we get coached,” De Allende said.
“Sometimes I’ll have to defend the forward, and most of the time I’ll have to defend against the backs, but I really don’t mind it.”
De Allende has faced some of the world’s leading midfielders during his career, including Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Sonny Bill Williams, as well as South Africans such as Franz Steyn and André Esterhuizen.
His current assessment of Jordie Barrett is particularly telling.
“At the moment, the one guy that really does stand out for me is Jordie Barrett,” he said.
“I think his skill set is incredible. He’s got the ability to do everything on the field at the moment.”
The pair have gone head-to-head during the first three Tests of the series, giving De Allende an opportunity to study one of New Zealand’s most versatile players.
“It’s been a real pleasure,” he said.
“I’ve always liked to learn a lot on the field, especially playing against my opposition. I feel like I’ve learnt a lot from Jordie Barrett on the field and it’s been incredible to play against him.”
“For us on defence, it’s the preparation,” he said.
“And like Eben said earlier, it’s the work our coaches do in the background and they give to us. It’s from there the analysis.”
Jesse Kriel has also become an important figure in the defensive system.
“He’s one of our defence leaders, he’s the one that takes control over it a lot,” De Allende said.
“And the way he speaks about defence, the way he’s proud about it, he brings that across a lot and he gets all the players to buy into believing in what we’re doing is correct.”
There is still room for instinct once the match begins.
“Sometimes on the field it is instinct because there’s times on the field where we have to make split-second decisions,” he said.
“And sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong.”
But De Allende put a figure on the importance of preparation.
“I think 90% of the things go into preparation and what we plan for and what we expect to see from the All Blacks.”
The physical demands of the series have been significant, particularly in the midfield, where De Allende has battled New Zealand’s centres across three Tests.
He described the contest as one of the toughest of his career while acknowledging the quality of the opposition.
“Every Test match is tough. You play against world-class centres, no matter what country you play against.”
He also wished injured All Black Quinn Tupaea a speedy recovery.
De Allende believes experience has become another advantage for a Springbok squad containing several players with more than 100 Test caps.
“I think experience is quite important,” he said.
“There’s still a big sense of responsibility, not just individually but I think collectively, to make sure that we keep representing South Africa well and to the best of our ability.”
Age, he believes, has brought a greater appreciation of the work required to remain at Test level.
“I know we are getting a bit older but for me personally it feels like we’re working a lot harder than what we did when we were a bit younger.”
That work ethic, De Allende believes, explains why the experienced core remains capable of competing with the world’s best.
“I think that is why we’re still playing at such a high-class level, and I think that is still why we’re very competitive, and we can still compete with the best in the world.”
In Baltimore, the Springboks will need that preparation, experience and defensive discipline once again.
The All Blacks have already tested every seam in the green-and-gold wall. One final examination awaits.