South Africa’s broader game plan can pay dividends against Scotland

If New Zealand are the self-confessed “most dominant team in the world” – and who would argue with an All Black on the matter – then the team close behind them in the rugby rankings have been scoring some serious points in the business of public relations this week.

While New Zealand have been based in their leaky Kensington hotel amid talk of motivational mantras and revenge over England, the Springboks and their canny coach Heyneke Meyer have been making friends in Scotland, praising the style and the manner in which the national team play their rugby, while preparing to beat them for the 10th time in their last 11 meetings.

“When I look at Scotland, their biggest weapon is that they play with a lot of heart, are a very proud team and they never go away, but I think their biggest strength is the breakdown,” said Meyer who has proved his words are more than hot air by taking on board a Scottish coach.

Scavenging
The coach concerned is Richie Gray from Galashiels, who has been working with the Springboks since the summer primarily in an area previously of great concern to Meyer, scavenging for the ball after tackles.

“Every time we’ve played against them, we’ve struggled because we couldn’t get enough quick ball,” said Meyer during a break in training for tomorrow’s game at Murrayfield. “Without trying to be arrogant, we can score great tries if we get quick ball but, in every game against Scotland, we struggled because they are good contesting on the ground.”

Meyer might have had in mind the most recent meeting at Nelspruit during Scotland's summer tour, when South Africa struggled for an hour before a couple of decisions from referee Romain Poite went the way of the home side. Either way, Gray's intervention has clearly paid dividends because, according to Meyer, the Boks won more ball on the ground than any of the other sides – New Zealand included – in the recent Rugby Championship.

Hands full
South Africa came second in that tournament, behind New Zealand, but increasingly are showing a broader game plan under Meyer and even though he is resting some key names from the starting XV this weekend, Scotland are likely to have their hands full as their coach Scott Johnson admitted this week.

Asked what relevance Nelspruit in June had to Murrayfield in November, Johnson replied: “Mars . . . They are a different side and we’re a different side,” meaning more than just the changes in selection.

He, like Meyer, has the World Cup in mind and accepted that some of his selections were more dictated to by what happens 22 months down the line, when Scotland and South Africa contest Pool B in Newcastle.

With that in mind, he has put 19-year-old Jonny Gray, brother of the other Richie Gray – the lock who plays for the French champions, Castres – on the replacement bench with the intention of seeing how he stands up to one of the more physical tests in international rugby, a confrontation with Bakkies Botha.

Botha will win his 77th cap on Sunday after more than two years out of the Springbok team
Guardian Service