Beaten by Australia last weekend but the manner in which they came back after Rassie Erasmus emptied his bench was emphatic. The series victory over New Zealand was the one they really wanted this year and achieving that, romping from 1-0 down to 3-1 victors, underscores that they are the team to beat in Australia next year. Many feel Erasmus needs to manage his ageing squad between now and then, but that was precisely what he was doing in Perth.
Set-piece dominance and physicality remain the Boks’ hallmarks and that isn’t going to change in the next 12 months. If they are to win a third World Cup in a row, South Africa are likely to have to do it the hard way – they are on course for a quarter-final against New Zealand and a semi against France but you wouldn’t bet against them at this point. An autumn that brings fixtures against France and Ireland should be fascinating but when the Springboks are truly dialled in, they remain almost impossible to stop.
There was so much to like about their performances against South Africa that, while losing the series, highlighted how the All Blacks are the closest challengers to the Springboks’ supremacy. Under Dave Rennie they have simply gone back to what they are good at – playing at pace and showcasing handling skills that once made them the most feared nation. There is a lesson there for other teams seeking to topple South Africa: focus on the way you play the game best rather than trying to ape Erasmus’s men.
Richie Mo’unga has the chance to stake his claim for the No 10 jersey in forthcoming Tests against Australia with Ruben Love injured while in Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea, Rennie has a formidable centre partnership. Leroy Carter does not look up to it defensively but the All Blacks have a habit of unearthing wing sensations in the buildup to World Cups and in Ardie Savea, New Zealand boast the world’s best player. For the second time in successive summers, an understrength French team ran the All Blacks close in New Zealand, demonstrating the remarkable depth at Fabien Galthié’s disposal.
For all that the All Blacks impressed over the summer, France are in many quarters considered the side most likely to trouble South Africa because they possess hulking forwards to match their stunning back division, led by the Pau duo of Fabien Brau-Boirie and Théo Attissogbe. You sense that last autumn’s heavy defeat by the Springboks - in which Lood de Jager was shown a first-half straight red card - spooked Galthié. A coaching overhaul has taken place and Galthié has added more size to his pack with Emmanuel Meafou now among the first names on the teamsheet.
That Meafou will miss the autumn fixtures – including a rematch with South Africa – is a blow but Galthié’s pack is a moveable feast at the moment. In keeping with a global trend, Galthié has been deploying Matthieu Jalibert at full-back of late and, of course, in Louis Bielle-Biarrey they have the game’s most lethal finisher. The big question mark is tighthead prop and Galthié must find an answer between now and the World Cup.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
