By Nick Said
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – World champions South Africa take aim at a rare Rugby Championship triumph but face three opponents with new coaches and are experimenting themselves with a more expansive game-plan ahead of Saturday’s start to the competition.
The Springboks have a measly four title victories in the annual southern hemisphere championship since 1996, the last in a shortened campaign in 2019, which remarkably matches their number of World Cup triumphs.
They have Rassie Erasmus back at the helm for a second stint as head coach and start with two tests in Australia, the first in Brisbane on Saturday, before they host old foes New Zealand twice and then play Argentina home and away.
Erasmus admits they need to “adapt or die” and will not claim a third successive global title if they stick to the forward-based, kicking game-plan that has won them the last two.
Hence the arrival of New Zealand attack coach Tony Brown, who has added an extra dimension to their play and will relish working with the explosive and uber-talented 22-year-old Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf in Saturday’s opener.
“It is an exciting opportunity for Sacha.
Hopefully, the forwards can give him the platform and he has a smooth game, which will be tough,” Erasmus said.
“After a World Cup, you are going to find some guys knocking on the door but we have a guy like Handre (Pollard) with more than 70 caps on the bench, which is a nice security.”
Australia enter a first Rugby Championship under their new coach Joe Schmidt.
He admits his team may not be fully up to speed in Brisbane as he gets familiar with the players.
“I’d like to have had more time, to be honest. It’s very much been a sprint so far,” Schmidt said.
“There are six new players that I haven’t spent time with before. Connecting it all up is a real challenge.
“I’ve coached against most of (the South African players) over several years.
I probably know them better than I know us, but we’ve got a great bunch of young men who are committed to trying to make sure they are as competitive as possible.”
NEW ERA
New Zealand are also in a new era under coach Scott Robertson, who took over from Ian Foster following last year’s World Cup final loss.
Robertson has an abundance of talent at his disposal and will be aiming to recreate the aura of invincibility around the side that had been lost somewhat under Foster.
They host Argentina in Wellington on Saturday, with the South Americans, also under new coach Felipe Contepomi, having enjoyed two test wins over the All Blacks in the last four years.
Robertson led the side to back-to-back home victories over England last month and says it is form over reputation that is front of mind in his selections.
“It was a tough squad to select (for the Rugby Championship) because everyone has owned their opportunities.
Continuity is important, but it’s also important to reward performance,” he said.
Argentina have a tough start with two tests in New Zealand, but in many ways it is a free hit for Contepomi, who won the last of his 87 test caps in 2013.
He has brought back several experienced players to boost the side that drew 1-1 at home with a second-string France in July.
SANZAAR has announced several law variations that will be in place for the Rugby Championship, including 20-minute red cards and a bid to speed up set-pieces.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
