By Adnaan Mohamed
Sir John Kirwan has called Rassie Erasmus’s underdog card before the Springboks’ second Rugby Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks.
And the All Blacks legend’s verdict is brutally simple.
“Never. Don’t believe Rassie. Don’t believe Rassie.”
Kirwan, one of New Zealand’s most celebrated rugby figures, refuses to buy into any suggestion that the four-time world champions are suddenly the underdogs after their 33-16 defeat to the All Blacks at Ellis Park last weekend.
“They are four-time world champions. They’ve been an outstanding rugby team for four years,” Kirwan said.
“So they are world champions. We are the underdogs.”
There is a healthy dose of mischief in Kirwan’s assessment, although his respect for the Springboks is unmistakable.
He expects a vastly improved South African performance at DHL Stadium on Saturday, predicting Erasmus will turn to a more conservative tactical approach and use the kicking game to squeeze New Zealand deep into their own territory.
“I think the Springboks will be way better,” Kirwan said.
“I think they’ll be a bit more conservative tomorrow. I think their infield kicking game will be different. So I expect them to try and pin us into our own half.”
The All Blacks, however, will arrive in Cape Town with their own armoury sharpened.
“These guys are on a journey to get better every week, so I think it’s going to be a massive game,” Kirwan said.
“The pressure is on the world champions and I’m sure they’ll step up to that. There’d be a lot of fireworks.”
Photo: Juliet Calder
“It’s a boxing match. They’re gonna win some rounds, you’re gonna win some rounds. But at this level, winning those critical moments is really, really important.”
Those moments, he warned, can arrive at any stage.
“Sometimes they come after five minutes. Sometimes they come in the 79th minute.”
Kirwan expects the contest to go down to the wire.
“I think it’ll be incredibly close tomorrow. I think it’ll come down to a few points.”
His description of rugby as “chess with contact” could prove particularly apt in Cape Town.
“You need to win the first 10 minutes, the last 10 minutes before halftime, first 10 minutes after halftime, and the last 10 minutes,” he said.
“It’s really important to start fast. It’s really important to try and imprint the way that you want to play on the opposition. The South African team will be trying to do the same.”
Kirwan is equally bullish about the identity of Dave Rennie’s All Blacks.
“What I’ve seen is that this All Black side is playing a style of rugby that I think suits our skill set and suits the type of athlete that we have.”
The Springboks’ selection changes, including the absence of Handré Pollard and the continued emergence of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, have also caught his eye.
Kirwan described Feinberg-Mngomezulu as “world class” and believes the young flyhalf will have benefited from the lessons of Ellis Park.
“I think Sacha is still a young man and last week he would have learned a lot and he’ll be better tomorrow.”
He also saluted South Africa’s diminutive dynamo brigade, particularly the skill and footwork of the country’s wings.
“When you see Damian, his footwork. I mean, some of these guys into contact have fantastic feet.”
Then came another Kirwan gem:
“Long live the small, fast winger.”
For Kirwan, the rivalry runs far deeper than tactics, rankings and Test statistics.
As an eight-year-old, he was allowed to stay up late to watch the All Blacks. New Zealand won plenty of matches in those days, although South Africa provided a particularly formidable obstacle.
“That whole rivalry, we don’t know who’s going to win,” he said.
“I think we have the same passion for the game. And I think that’s brought us together.”
Kirwan believes rugby has often carried a cultural weight beyond the field, particularly in South Africa and New Zealand.
“A lot of times in our country, the game’s been bigger than a game. I think Nelson Mandela did that.”
The former All Black has also embraced the South African welcome.
“The hospitality, South African hospitality is unbelievable. Food’s great, people are lovely. And so for us, it’s like being at home. Really appreciate it.”
The pleasantries can wait once the whistle blows.
For now, Kirwan has thrown the psychological ball firmly into Erasmus’s court.
Rassie can call them underdogs. Kirwan isn’t buying it.
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok.
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Fabian Holland, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Patrick Tuipoluto, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Josh Moorby
Date: Saturday, August 29
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.10
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a low of 11°C and a high of 18°C. Rain is also expected around kick-off time.
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)