Australia vs. South Africa: 5 Key Battles in 2015 Rugby Championship Game
The Rugby Championship swings into action this weekend with the eye-catching tie of the round between Australia and South Africa.
The Springboks have had to shuffle their deck as they cope with a string of injury concerns, while Australia’s Michael Cheika has a number of combinations to test in the next three matches before settling on his choices for the crunch matches of the Wallabies' World Cup pool against England and Wales.
The last clash on Australian soil between these two was a nail-biter, with the Australians running out 24-23 winners in Perth thanks to Rob Horne’s 77th-minute try.
Some drama of that order will go down a treat with the neutrals this Saturday at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Let’s have a look at the key battles.
1. The Midfield
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Michael Cheika’s choice of No. 12 has dominated the build-up to this Test, thanks to the return of Matt Giteau to the squad. Labelled by B/R’s Tom Sunderland as the magic man in the Wallaby camp, Giteau’s reintegration to the national setup should see him line up alongside powerhouse Tevita Kuridrani.
Against them will be a largely untested South African combination of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende. Kriel is the sensation from the Bulls who has made his name mostly at full-back. De Allende is another picked by B/R’s Tom Sunderland as one to watch:
"The 23-year-old has been simmering for some time as a potential mainstay for the Springboks, and now is the time for De Allende to lead his nation in the buildup to this year's Rugby World Cup.
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The Stormers man’s power and size are phenomenal, and in the absence of the vastly experienced Jean de Villiers, he is primed to take his opportunity with two hands.
The worry for the Boks is the inexperience of this combination when compared to the Australian pair. While Giteau and Kuridrani have only shared a training field together, they share 112 caps between them while De Allende and Kriel have three.
It will be intriguing to see who wins out. Will De Allende’s line-busting power leave Giteau steamrollered into the turf, or can the Toulon man’s silky skill set outfox the young pair and set Kuridrani free?
2. The Lineout
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Wallaby No. 2 Stephen Moore has a lot on his plate.
He needs to scrummage like his life depends on it against an eminently more powerful pack, play middle man between the referee and his players, make decisions about penalties, rally his troops in time of crisis and, oh, then turn his attention to the small matter of hitting his jumpers in the lineout.
Moore is experienced enough to handle the workload, but when it comes to the lineout he is faced with the world’s best operator when it comes to stealing opposition ball.
Victor Matfield might be closer to a gold watch than anyone else on the park, but his advancing years have not dulled his ability to dominate the lineout.
This is going to be a key battleground on Saturday. Last time these teams met, South Africa claimed all 13 of their own throws and took one of Australia’s as well.
There is no doubt the Boks will kick for the touchlines and use their lineout as a platform to attack from. Whether they allow the Australians to do the same will be down to Matfield’s agility and Moore’s accuracy.
3. Folau vs. Le Roux
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If it’s fireworks you want from this contest, then you will be hoping to see plenty of the ball land in the hands of each team’s No. 15.
Israel Folau is about as close as it comes to having your name set in stone on a team sheet. Let’s not forget this is the stadium Folau announced himself with two jaw-dropping tries against the Lions in 2013.
Willie Le Roux is not from the mould of big, strapping South African full-backs. Instead he possesses a wicked goose step, scorching pace and wonderful skills.
These are two men who can give value for the ticket price, and it would be a treat to see them cut loose in Brisbane.
4. The Enforcers
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Saturday’s Test match will see the giant Will Skelton collide with South Africa’s own man mountain in Eben Etzebeth.
Skelton has just re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union, keeping the Waratahs man out of the clutches of Europe’s biggest clubs, who would doubtless like to add his considerable bulk to their packs.
Etzebeth is not quite as big as the Australian lock but the Stormers second row knows how to throw his weight around. Both men are key ball-carriers for their sides.
Skelton is unlike any Wallaby second row who has gone before him in terms of his carrying power, and he will do much of the grunt work at close quarters.
Etzebeth’s ability to get over the gain line becomes even more important for the Boks in the absence of Duane Vermeulen and Willem Alberts from the pack.
In addition to those attributes, neither man is what you would term a shrinking violet when it comes to the rough stuff. Should they rub up against each other this weekend, it could be quite some tussle.
5. The Scrum-Halves
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Will Genia starts against South Africa on Saturday as reward for his form during the Super XV. It is also a sign of faith in the 27-year-old that he could be the man to wear the No. 9 shirt into the World Cup despite his impending move to French club Stade Francais.
Genia will be up against Ulster’s Ruan Pienaar, who has made noises in the past week that his time in the testing weather Belfast has to offer may have dulled his edge on the harder surfaces such as the one he will play on in Brisbane.
But the battle between these two will be key on Saturday. Pienaar will play a pivotal role with his kicking to secure field position for his forwards, who will look to dominate set pieces. Genia will need to hassle the life out of the South African to unsettle his kicking, and must also be alert at the back of his own scrum.
If the Wallaby pack struggles to cope with the pressure South Africa apply, Genia may have a lot of messy balls to deal with at the base. With his pace and intelligence, he could turn this to his advantage and catch the Springbok back row unaware with a dart here and there.
In boxing parlance, style makes fights. These two No.9s offer an intriguing contrast.
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