Boks v All Blacks at Twickenham: Five talking points

The Springboks and All Blacks renew their rivalry on Friday night when they meet in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match in front of a sold-out crowd at Twickenham Stadium in London, with kick-off at 8.30pm.

The two nations have six Webb Ellis Cup triumphs between them, with nothing friendly about their encounters.

The game is of high importance for the Boks as it’s their final match before they kickstart the defence of their World Cup title in France next month.

Here The Citizen looks at some of the talking points Boks coach Jacques Nienaber will keep a close eye on over the 80 minutes.

Strong physical dominance

To make a statement, the Boks must bring out the sheer physicality that’s seen them being the most feared team in world rugby. No team in international rugby can match the Boks pound for pound in a physical battle. The All Blacks know they are in for a long night, with the Boks also having a six-two split on the bench.

The last time the teams met in Auckland in the Rugby Championship the All Blacks managed to avoid the Boks’ attempts for collision rugby with their speed, but that is something the Boks will want to rectify on Friday. Being confrontational from the get-go in the physical battle will slow down New Zealand and give the Boks an edge.

Good game from Etzebeth and Mostert

The second-row partnership of Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert will have to be at their best on Friday as they are going to front up against All Blacks stars Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock.

The towering Boks duo will be key in the team’s aspirations to win, and for various reasons, they both need to have a good game.

After having a rest last weekend, Etzebeth will be itching to get on the field and build on his enforcer role, while Mostert will look to call the lineouts and cover ground as a third flanker option to counter New Zealand’s loose trio.

A good showing by Mostert could secure him a starting place in the first-choice team for the World Cup opener against Scotland.

Maintaining discipline

Considering this will be a high-stakes game even though it’s a warm-up match, emotions will be high. This means the Boks need to be disciplined.

The Boks have had a few disciplinary mishaps this season, be it from the eager-to-be physical or a rush of blood to the head. But, giving away penalties in areas where the All Blacks can kick for the poles or line will be costly and put the Boks under the pump.

The leadership unit will have to keep the guys on their toes and hopefully avoid any cards being dished out which will be carried over to the World Cup.

60 minutes for Kolisi

Captain fantastic Siya Kolisi will make his second outing for the Boks this year on Friday, and all eyes will be on how he fares. His return in the win over Wales showed he’s up for it and ready to go.

Management gave him 40 minutes in Cardiff last weekend, and he was brilliant. Now, in an attempt to get him fully match fit and his performance levels up, Nienaber and Co will look to push for him to get 60 minutes on Friday.

This will help in getting his confidence up and also put his strapped knee to the ultimate test and ease any fears of it being aggravated.

Nullifying Will Jordan and New Zealand backline

The All Blacks’ backline is at full strength for the match so this will be the perfect test for the Boks to see how their usually strong defence holds up against a very formidable attacking side.

Also, the coaching team will keep a close watch on how the backs go in competing for the high balls, a big part of the modern game.

Winger Will Jordan, who is an incredible finisher in Test rugby, is the All Blacks’ biggest threat in attack. He was unplayable the last time the two nations met in Auckland and keeping Jordan busy in defence must be something the Boks should focus on.

Also, cutting off the supply of ball to him will go a long way in nullifying the All Blacks’ threat out wide.