The former Springbok also spoke of how South Africa could have defended better against New Zealand on Saturday.
Jaque Fourie hopes the Lions will have more ball in play against the All Blacks than the Springboks did. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Defence coach Jaque Fourie called on the Lions to be competitive for the full 80 minutes against the All Blacks in their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry clash at Ellis Park on Tuesday night.
The game (kick-off 7.10pm) is the last the All Blacks will play against the franchises after beating the Stormers 38-21, the Sharks 54-0 and the Bulls 50-19 at their respective home grounds.
The New Zealanders then weathered the Springboks for about an hour before momentum shifted and they ran away with a 33-16 victory against the national side at Ellis Park on Saturday night.
Fourie, a 72-Test former Springbok centre, said it would be “unbelievable” if they could cause an upset, especially as the Lions, like the other franchises, are still in their pre-season and are not match fit.
They have also only beaten the All Blacks once in their history: 6-0 in the first-ever game played at Ellis Park in 1928.
Lions to keep ball in play
“We can make history,” Fourie said. “But we also have to be true to ourselves, to implement what we’ve been doing.
“And also having fun, we should have fun while doing it. We have to be in the contest for 80 minutes; I think that’s the biggest thing.”
He said the All Blacks had named an “interesting” mid-week team, featuring plenty of experience.
“They’ve played 630 or 640 Test matches. The way we have been training, we want the ball in play to be very high.
“The biggest thing is putting four 20-minute sessions together so that we are competitive for the full 80.”
How Springboks should have defended against All Blacks
The defence coach weighed in on how the Springboks could have defended better on Saturday, with the All Blacks regularly able to get an extra player wide.
“First of all, you need to pick up your numbers. They sweep with their 10, 13, wingers… for defence the Springboks just need to pick up numbers, get the right numbers in that space.
“I think the way the All Blacks have been playing against the franchises is an exciting brand. With the rush defence of the Springboks, if there is no ruck, you can’t get off the line.
“So with the hand speed that the All Blacks have been playing, they have been playing a little bit deeper, so they have been getting around us. Of course, the Springboks get off the line a lot harder, and if they don’t make their tackles, it’s very difficult to set again.”
Likewise, Fourie said the Springboks could have countered New Zealand’s rip tackles better by being more dominant in contact.
“What the All Blacks did well is they have improved defensively. We saw there were times they tackled low and the second guy was on the ball.
“So firstly, we have to dominate contact. We call it triple T: where the guy who is supporting the tackler needs to get on his back and get him over the advantage line. Then it’s very difficult to rip the ball.”
