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GALLERY: Baby Boks gear up for JWC final
Such excitement is largely understandable, of course, especially given how wretchedly South Africa started the tournament with that insipid, uninspiring loss to Ireland.
The Baby Boks have been on the charge pretty much ever since, and it is certainly to be hoped that they will peak at the right time – in the final – rather than potentially having done so in the amazing second half against England and then extremely competent dismantling of Argentina in the semi-final.
They have come on in leaps and bounds since the Irish fiasco – part of it inadvertently, because the selection bag was shaken considerably following that opening reverse and a few initially intended “first-teamers” quickly sidelined as others like scrumhalf Vian van der Watt, tighthead prop Maks van Dyk and flyhalf Handre Pollard greatly reinvigorated the team as the tournament progressed.
Injuries actually “helped”, too – in certain cases replacements for this reason have also only enhanced the brew.
But the moment of truth now looms, and in some respects it is the Baby Blacks, it might be argued, who enter the game (18:45 kick-off) in a less pressured position.
Rightly or wrongly (and we will find out extremely shortly) plenty of local pundits believe South Africa are firm favourites to clinch a title they have never previously won since the advent of the tournament in this format in 2008, New Zealand hogging it like the pudding-stealing bully at the boarding school dining table.
“Weakest Baby Blacks in five years,” they are trumpeting, perhaps just a little deceptively fuelled by that team’s maiden sampling of defeat at this year’s event to Wales in the pool phase – in a quagmire at Stellenbosch just before the organisers wisely abandoned the Danie Craven Stadium, mind you.
It is also felt that the Baby Boks’ pack will possess too much muscle, especially with its superior infusion of Super Rugby experience.
Even that is a slightly questionable assessment, given South Africa’s occasional angst at scrum-time and a line-out that has been less than a clockwork factor virtually throughout the event.
Let’s consider the crowd factor: a spirited, viral social media campaign has taken root to try to ensure that the showpiece takes place before a record attendance, and it seems already that that wish will be granted, with some 25,000 tickets reportedly sold and a gate in excess of 30,000 thus entirely possible.
Of course the Baby Boks are going to get significantly the lion’s share of raucous support, even if at Newlands there is always the likelihood of some portions of the local community dusting off their All Blacks/Crusaders/Hurricanes gear with some zeal and getting behind the visitors.
But an underdog’s mindset can be a useful ally in circumstances like these, and the burden of expectation certainly seems to lie squarely in the Baby Boks’ hands.
The charge that this is the least inspiring Baby Blacks side for some time may also serve as a motivational tool of some weight for the New Zealanders.
For the record, I nevertheless also lean – albeit not especially comfortably -- toward Wiaan Liebenberg’s lads lifting the spoils.
But only provided that they have the right mindset for fully 80 minutes and haven’t been sucked in too fatally by the tide of home-town optimism.
Very, very few rugby sides wearing a silver fern, let’s not forget, are easy-beats ...
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
