Springbok defence coach Jerry Flannery has pinpointed a crucial battleground ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash with the Wallabies at Ellis Park.
Australia arrive on the Highveld after a bruising three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions. They lost the first Test in Brisbane, were a minute away from winning the second Test in Melbourne before conceding a late try, and won the third Test in Sydney.
Now, the Wallabies face an even greater challenge against the world champions at altitude.
Flannery knows all about the threat posed by Joe Schmidt’s side.
“We played them last year when Joe came in, and I was familiar with his philosophy from his work with Ireland and New Zealand,” said the Irishman. “They play very direct rugby with a lot of detail, and the breakdown is a massive part of their game.
“You could say the breakdown is key to stopping them. Joe’s teams are meticulously planned – not just for the first three phases but for five or six. That requires accuracy at the breakdown, and they always have two players in quickly.
“Bringing in guys like Taniela Tupou, Will Skelton and Rob Valetini gives them huge ball-carrying power and momentum, which feeds into that quick-ball game. Our system won’t change, but we’ll emphasise certain areas more.”
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Despite Australia’s current world ranking of sixth, Flannery believes they have taken big strides under Schmidt.
“At the [2023] World Cup, they looked a little rudderless. Joe is a brilliant coach with phenomenal attention to detail, and he’s got Australia firing. They were much more confrontational against the Lions and right in the mix in that series.
“The narrative now is that Australian rugby is on the up, and they’ll target us to keep building.”
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The Boks, meanwhile, have sharpened their defensive structures after mixed showings in July.
“We weren’t happy with our effort in the first Test against Italy, and we also conceded maul tries against Italy and Georgia,” Flannery said. “We’ve invested time into our maul defence.
“Across the four games – including the Barbarians – we conceded 40 points, but performances varied.
“We’ve tried to replicate Australia’s intensity in training.”
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Photo: Lubabalo Lesolle/Gallo Images
