Forwards coach Jason Ryan said New Zealand have the muscle up front to compete with a formidable Springbok pack when the old foes clash in Johannesburg this week.
Knowing the intensity of the world champion Bok forward play, the All Blacks are preparing for an onslaught in the first of two 2024 Rugby Championship Tests in the Republic at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The last time the two southern hemisphere rivals met was the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in Paris, when South Africa edged the Kiwis by one point to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
Speaking in an All Blacks conference on Monday ahead of this weekend’s showdown on the Highveld, Ryan emphasised the importance of winning the physical battle.
“We’ll have to. We’re confident that we’ve got a game that will suit us,” he told reporters.
“Their initial goal in the expected good conditions will be to get into the game early and play quality rugby. The scrum and maul are important against such a big pack, and at altitude, they have to be smart about how they use the ball.”
Ryan added that the All Blacks were growing in their maul defence: “We’ve got some new cattle in there now with the experienced boys that we lost, but we’ve been impressed with how the boys are buying into our system.
“Our lineout boys have done a great job, especially Toops [Tupou Vaa’i] in the last couple of weeks.”
Ryan has gained plenty from last year’s World Cup warm-up loss at Twickenham, in addition to the experience he gained in the 2022 and 2023 Rugby Championships.
“They dinged us up pretty fiercely. It’s the best contest you can judge yourself in, especially in the forwards,” he said. “That’s where the contest is won or lost.”
After the last few seasons’ experiences, the forwards guru backed the All Blacks’ mentality in the trenches, adding, “They’re clear and haven’t got too much clutter because when you’re playing in this arena, it’s the best to test yourself.
“What I’ve learned is removing a little bit of stuff during the week helps them execute under pressure.”
Skipper Scott Barrett, too, has worked hard to be fit and available. “What I know about Scooter [Barrett] is the bigger the contest, usually the better he goes,” Ryan said.
“He’ll have confidence in his game and getting straight into it.”
Coping with an intimidating 64,000 supporters at Ellis Park was something the Kiwis were aware of, especially for the younger players in the side.
Ryan said former captain Sam Cane has been outstanding in making players aware of the atmosphere. That includes dealing with the bus trip through raucous home fans to get to the stadium.
“He’ll deliver some messages as we get closer to the game and give the boys confidence,” he said.
“One of the great things about this environment is we pride ourselves on setting young guys up to succeed so they can go out, embrace it and play.
“As long as they can play free and play with a lot of physicality and a clear mind, it’s a simple formula.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
