According to John Smit, the World Cup-winning South African captain, the world’s most seasoned Test team is poised to finally confront their nemesis, Quade Cooper, and eliminate the Wallabies through their superior resilience in sudden-death rugby.
The clever Springbok leader initiated psychological tactics ahead of today’s critical quarter-final in Wellington, stating that this scenario poses unprecedented pressure compared to anything young Australians like Cooper, Kurtley Beale, and James O’Connor have previously encountered.
“While the results leading into the tournament certainly suggest an advantage for the Wallabies, they have come from situations distinct from what a World Cup entails,” Smit commented, shielded from Wellington’s persistent rain. “Knockout rugby offers a different landscape, and we are lucky to have players who have weathered various scenarios over the last ten years. It’s the pressure that enhances the beauty of the game and elicits remarkable performances.”
“I can sense a positive energy within our team. The World Cup has kicked off this week… it’s all-or-nothing.”
The Springboks are expected to deploy eight or nine of their tough-minded 2007 World Cup champions, and Smit feels that his team has transformed from being “undercooked” during a challenging Tri-Nations season to reaching the ideal mindset following four consecutive Cup victories.
“I believe our experience will be instrumental. You absorb the pressure as much as you can while remaining poised in executing your game plans,” expressed Smit.
With confidence, the Boks recognize they are finally ready to challenge Cooper, who has achieved remarkable success against South African teams over the past two years by outsmarting their rigid systems with his spontaneous creativity.
During the 2010-11 seasons, five-eighth Cooper led the Reds to eight victories out of nine against South African Super Rugby teams, while the Wallabies, with him as a customary playmaker, have triumphantly secured four wins from five Tests against the Boks during the same timeframe.
In tournament conditions that have been damp, Cooper has mishandled several high balls in his fullback defensive role, making it a prime opportunity for bomb specialist Morne Steyn to exploit that weakness.
Under the new defensive coach Jacques Nienaber, the formerly vulnerable Springboks defense has transformed into a formidable barrier, conceding only 24 points in four pool games against offense-heavy teams such as Wales, Samoa, and Fiji.
This defensive enhancement will complicate Cooper’s ability to assess opportunities, while South African coach Peter de Villiers highlighted the hard lesson of not overthinking what the unpredictable Wallaby might devise through a pass or counter-attack.
“We’ll falter if we make decisions on his behalf. If we let him decide, it’s considerably easier for us to contain him. We’ll be prepared,” de Villiers asserted.
With Bismarck du Plessis performing exceptionally well at hooker, de Villiers faces a significant selection dilemma that could result in Smit being placed on the bench for the quarter-final.
De Villiers remarked that the injury to centre Frans Steyn was “much more significant” to his team compared to the All Blacks’ loss of Dan Carter.
by Buford Balony