The Big Debate: Bok power or cool Kiwi in Yokohama?

One of the biggest clashes in this year’s Rugby World Cup comes as early as Saturday, when the greatest rivalry in the sport – the Springboks and the All Blacks – resumes in Yokohama.

Both camps are bullish about their chances of gaining early supremacy in the tournament.

Two of our writers slug it out in terms of who they think will win.

RUDOLPH JACOBS: SPRINGBOKS TO WIN

There are very few teams in world rugby that manage to get under the skin of the All Blacks the way a confident Springbok combination can.

That’s why Rassie Erasmus’ troops – who are unbeaten this year – could surprise the odds by winning the two old foes’ opening World Cup fixture on Saturday in the colourful Yokohama Stadium.

Having had New Zealand’s number in the last four Tests between the countries, the Boks will base their gameplan on an energetic physical performance, spearheaded by a monster pack of forwards and a sound kicking performance from flyhalf Handre Pollard.

In expected tough and wet conditions, the box-kicking of scrumhalf Faf de Klerk will also need to be spot-on, while the Boks pressing defence, which has improved weekly, will exhibit a familair “in your face” attitude to neutralise the All Blacks’ ability to cleverly create space for their dangerous outside backs.

The Boks will, however, be wary that the All Blacks would have made new plans to expose the Boks tight defensive pattern.

South Africa’s wingers often coming inside out of the defensive line to make spot tackles, which opens up space in the wider areas, but with defensive gurus in Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones present, you can bet that weakness has been addressed.

The Boks will know they need to box clever as physicality alone won’t win them the game, but they last few outings have shown they’re more than capable of turning pressure on the counter into points.

Rudolph Jacobs is The Citizen’s chief rugby writer.

HEINZ SCHENK: ALL BLACKS TO WIN

There’s simply no way one can deny that the Springbok-All Black rivalry is back in its full, thrilling glory.

South Africa have been a team transformed under Rassie Erasmus, channelling their natural confidence that comes with playing against the so-called old enemy and also embracing traditional strengths, combining them with skill.

As the Bok coach remarked this week, the close recent results illustrate vividly how evenly matched the sides are.

Yet there’s a flip side to this argument that many tend to forget.

The All Blacks have never been out of contention in any of the previous four tight meetings.

In Wellington last year, only Beauden Barrett’s woeful goal-kicking denied them another win and they eventually dominated proceedings in the return fixture this year, denied by Cheslin Kolbe and Herschel Jantjies’ last-gasp brilliance.

No disrespect to the Boks, but since 2017’s narrow 25-24 victory at Newlands, South Africa haven’t played against an All Blacks combination that fired on all cylinders.

That’s because the Boks have thrown them off their normal game, not necessarily because they’re in decline.

The All Blacks remain the best-equipped team to win this weekend’s encounter and, in all honesty, the tournament.

It’s not in their DNA to be complacent and stagnate and it’s revealing that their sterling 32-30 comeback win at Loftus last year was achieved with them on the back foot.

The New Zealanders, in the expected wet conditions, will sneakily try to let the Boks dictate the tempo, which is something they’re not always comfortable with.

And when the Boks fail to turn pressure into points, the ABs will pounce.

Heinz Schenk is The Citizen’s digital sports editor.

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