'If he can test the boundaries and get a strategic and tactical advantage with the athletes that he has at his disposal, why not?'
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt believes that, apart from innovations that break the laws of rugby, there’s no reason the Springboks shouldn’t implement ideas that give them an edge.
Schmidt was speaking to media after announcing his team for the opening Rugby Championship clash between the Springboks and Wallabies at Ellis Park on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm).
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus popularised the 6–2 bench split, though on Saturday the Springboks will use a 5–3 split and the Wallabies a 6–2, due to the late injury of flyhalf Ben Donaldson.
Queried on the trademark innovations Erasmus has used, Schmidt replied, “Why not?” and said he would love to be a fly on the wall when such ideas are discussed.
‘A great man for testing the boundaries’
Just four matches into this season and the Boks have already employed a few.
Traditional centre André Esterhuizen packed down at flank in the opening game against the Barbarians. A ‘hybrid player‘, Esterhuizen played flank in attack and dropped to centre in defence.
Then, in the second Test against Italy, the Boks played a short kick-off to induce a scrum, and introduced the world to the midfield “fake lineout” maul from open play. The latter led to a try, while World Rugby later deemed the former an intentional infringement. Still, Erasmus said ahead of the Rugby Championship that they have a few tricks up their sleeves.
“I think there are some where it may be stretching things … which then comes down to a sanction other than a scrum. He’s a great man for testing the boundaries, isn’t he?” Schmidt chuckled, referring to Erasmus.
“If he can test the boundaries and get a strategic and tactical advantage with the athletes that he has at his disposal, why not?”
Schmidt praises Bok coaches, players ahead of clash
Schmidt described Springbok assistant coaches Tony Brown and Felix Jones as smart, innovative coaches. “I think the three of them together have some pretty good coaching meetings where they come up with pretty good ideas. If anyone’s got a recording of those meetings I’d love to get them.”
He said while he admired the Springboks and had learned much from them regarding blooding players to create depth, the Wallabies were still in a restructuring stage. “We’re still trying to get the fundamentals right and not stretch things to the boundary too much.”
The Wallabies coach said Brown had added width to the South African game, improving the movement and structure of their game.
“You will even see them go side to side very quickly. They’ve got some very efficient passing, capability. With a guy like Manie Libbok, I still remember clearly that no-look kick-pass that he did against Scotland in the World Cup.
“I’m expecting that they will be really strong in the set-piece, as they always are. Their kick-chase game will be very strong.
“On any turnover, or any bit of space they get, they’ve got lethal finishers. With Kurt-Lee Arendse, Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel, such a strong player, André Esterhuizen.”
He said the Springboks have an “abundance of talent” who were capable of out-muscling, out-speeding and out-skilling their opponents. “We will just have to be a lot better than we were in that last Lions Test because not just because who we are playing but where we are,” he said.
