South Africa v Australia: 5 Key Battles That Will Shape Rugby Championship Clash
The battle to depose New Zealand from their perch atop the Rugby Championship standings will undergo radical change on Saturday, where South Africa play host to Australia at Newlands.
Coming into the fixture, each side sit level on 10 points apiece and promise to be pulled apart before the final weekend's climax, in which all matters will be decided.
That being said, for either team to retain a hope of claiming the title as their own, this match figures as being as pivotal as any other, and a number of individual matchups across the pitch will have their say on the final score.
1. Bryan Habana vs. Adam Ashley-Cooper
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Wing continues its run as one decisive problem area for Ewen McKenzie, but the absences of Henry Speight, Pat McCabe, Peter Betham and other wide men could be eased this weekend by the return of Adam Ashley-Cooper.
The utility was absent for the win over Argentina thanks to a neck injury, and Bryan Habana will be waiting to greet him back onto the pitch with open arms this Saturday—open, but perhaps not the kind of embrace "AAC" will be hoping for.
The last time these two met, Ashley-Cooper made a nuisance of himself in terms of the head-to-head clash between these two, Habana opting for less direct battles and coming into the line on numerous occasions, attacking the fly-half with some frequency.
McKenzie's issues on the flanks at least have some security in Ashley-Cooper's hands, the Waratahs star ever a safe pair of hands to rely upon, while Habana's offering of flash and flair should make for another contrasting clash.
2. Oupa Mohoje vs. Michael Hooper
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Oupa Mohoje continues a remarkable rugby journey to start for the Springboks on Saturday, it was confirmed by Meyer, and the visit of Michael Hooper makes for a veritable baptism of fire.
Speaking on Wednesday, Meyer praised his new addition, who only made his Super Rugby debut this year, as confirmed by the official South Africa Rugby Twitter account:
"Remarkable season for Mohoje, started playing Varsity and Vodacom Cup rugby before getting break in Super Rugby. @absa @flysaa @oupsmo
— South African Rugby (@bokrugby) September 24, 2014"
""Oupa has really come on in leaps and bounds this season and responded to the goals set for him" - Heyneke Meyer @absa @flysaa @asics_za
— South African Rugby (@bokrugby) September 24, 2014"
Untested workhorse versus battle-hardened captain has all the ingredients for what should be a stellar scrap, and Mohoje's evolution from varsity rugby has been in no small part due to a solid willingness to graft, a lot of which we're bound to see on Saturday.
His first international start couldn't have come under harsher conditions, but Francois Louw's neck injury has forced Meyer's hand, and Wallabies leader Hooper will be eager to test his opposite number's mettle.
Should Mohoje show any nerves in such settings, it's likely to mean his off-the-ball contributions will be the most significant, an area in which the visiting openside will also be looking to scavenge possession for his team.
3. Jean De Villiers vs. Matt Toomua
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Fresh after winning his 100th Test cap last time out, Jean de Villiers will face an adversary almost at the other end of the experience spectrum in Matt Toomua, who has only 12 months of international rugby under his belt.
However, during that time, Toomua has shown himself to be a matured figure, past that which his 24 years would tell, and underestimated hero of this Wallabies side since adopting the No. 12 jersey as his own.
De Villiers will undoubtedly look to offer more of a threat than his inside-centre foe when it comes to line-breaking on Saturday, having covered more metres when these two met in Perth three weeks ago.
That being the case, Toomua does bring a tactical nous to the role and will continue to offer Bernard Foley a playmaking outlet that allows Tevita Kuridrani to play the part of wrecking ball in Australia's back line.
The addition of Francois Hougaard's quickened pace could also see De Villiers coming upon more noticeable gaps on a more frequent basis, the Australians facing a new test in reshaping their defensive line more hastily.
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4. Francois Hougaard vs. Nick Phipps
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As aforementioned, Hougaard comes in this weekend as replacement for the injured Ruan Pienaar, and South Africa will as a result be bringing a substantial change in phase turnover to Newlands, one would expect.
In that sense, the head-to-head against Nick Phipps this time makes for a clash of closer styles, and the Wallabies showed with their fierce start against Argentina a fortnight ago just how capable they are of fine initiative.
Phipps has replaced Nick White with noticeably improved results, the change-up in handling and attacking gumption boosting Foley's chances to hit space, and Handre Pollard will be hoping Hougaard's addition can have a similar impact for him.
5. Handre Pollard vs. Bernard Foley
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Three weeks ago, Morne Steyn made his only start of the Rugby Championship and was immediately pointed out as a weakness by the Australians, leading to Pollard's reinstatement as fly-half.
Israel Folau and Kuridrani in particular found it easy to exploit Steyn's defensive lapses in that fixture, the No. 10 attempting 15 tackles in total, missing seven.
Pollard has by all means shown his shortcoming in this regard, too, and it's something Foley will be looking to capitalise upon. Again, it will be the Wallabies' floating options hoping to come and hit the inside shoulders in the hope that young Pollard can be pointed out as the chink in South Africa's proverbial armour.
With the breakdown battle set to play such a significant hand on the fixture and discipline a key factor, one can also expect the kicking game to play a prominent role on who wins this head-to-head, and establishing an early lead is pivotal as no team wants to be chasing a deficit.
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