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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town - South Africa’s World Cup prospects will be dented if they “take another 40 points” against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday.
So says former New Zealand hooker and captain Sean Fitzpatrick, who has long been an admirer of the proud rivalry between the two nations, but was well less than impressed by the Springboks’ 39-20 Castle Tri-Nations defeat to the Wallabies in Sydney last weekend.
Fitzpatrick, losing skipper in the immortal 1995 World Cup final at Ellis Park, told the New Zealand Herald on Tuesday: “You might say they (the Boks) battled back at the end, but I would be bitterly disappointed if I was a South African.
“They are going to come under extreme pressure from the South African public, the coach is going to be under extreme pressure and the captain will be under pressure even though he scored a good late try.
“They didn’t give up but the game was well over by then.
“I think they have missed a trick here, leaving all those experienced players at home; they have lost a huge amount of momentum.
“If they go to New Zealand this week and get another bashing, like another 40 points put on them, they are going to go back to South Africa under extreme pressure only a few weeks out from the start of the World Cup.”
Meanwhile another local newspaper, the Wellington-based Dominion Post, suggested on Tuesday that current All Blacks captain Richie McCaw might start Saturday’s Test at No 8 rather than his more customary slot of open-side flank.
He reportedly operated in that position at training on Monday - Crusaders team-mate Kieran Read, the incumbent All Blacks No 8, is being rested this weekend - with Jerome Kaino at blindside flank and Adam Thomson on the open side.
The All Blacks name their team on Wednesday.
Wellington is slowly warming up after a bitterly cold snap, with little rain expected for the remainder of the week, so the All Blacks may be in a position to play an especially expansive game against a Bok side defensively chaotic in Sydney.
Cape Town - South Africa’s World Cup prospects will be dented if they “take another 40 points” against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday.
So says former New Zealand hooker and captain Sean Fitzpatrick, who has long been an admirer of the proud rivalry between the two nations, but was well less than impressed by the Springboks’ 39-20 Castle Tri-Nations defeat to the Wallabies in Sydney last weekend.
Fitzpatrick, losing skipper in the immortal 1995 World Cup final at Ellis Park, told the New Zealand Herald on Tuesday: “You might say they (the Boks) battled back at the end, but I would be bitterly disappointed if I was a South African.
“They are going to come under extreme pressure from the South African public, the coach is going to be under extreme pressure and the captain will be under pressure even though he scored a good late try.
“They didn’t give up but the game was well over by then.
“I think they have missed a trick here, leaving all those experienced players at home; they have lost a huge amount of momentum.
“If they go to New Zealand this week and get another bashing, like another 40 points put on them, they are going to go back to South Africa under extreme pressure only a few weeks out from the start of the World Cup.”
Meanwhile another local newspaper, the Wellington-based Dominion Post, suggested on Tuesday that current All Blacks captain Richie McCaw might start Saturday’s Test at No 8 rather than his more customary slot of open-side flank.
He reportedly operated in that position at training on Monday - Crusaders team-mate Kieran Read, the incumbent All Blacks No 8, is being rested this weekend - with Jerome Kaino at blindside flank and Adam Thomson on the open side.
The All Blacks name their team on Wednesday.
Wellington is slowly warming up after a bitterly cold snap, with little rain expected for the remainder of the week, so the All Blacks may be in a position to play an especially expansive game against a Bok side defensively chaotic in Sydney.
