Rugby World Cup 2023: South Africa v Ireland will be 'massively confrontational' - Joel Stransky
- Published
Joel Stransky was part of South Africa's iconic team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup on home soil, kicking all of his team's points as the Springboks beat New Zealand 15-12 in the final. The former fly-half looks ahead to Saturday's encounter between the reigning world champions, South Africa, and the world's number one-ranked side, Ireland.
So far, it is mission accomplished for South Africa.
In the opening win against Scotland, it was always going to be tough. The Springboks were decent in certain areas but failed to create enough. When you have that much physical dominance, you need to be a little bit more creative.
Beating Romania, there is not really too much you can take out of it. The Springboks were clinical and did what was required while giving most players in the squad a run.
I think the coaches will be happy but thinking there is room for improvement.
However, when it comes to the coaches themselves - head coach Jacques Nienaber and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus - it is working sensationally. Those two have been joined at the hip forever, they know each other well, they think the same and obviously get on well. Rassie is the director, so he is the boss, he still has a role on the training field in certain areas. But they are doing a great job however they structure things.
Sexton 'one of the greats'
There is no doubt the game against Ireland will be massively confrontational.
The Irish are masters at keeping the ball. They are good at the breakdown and recycle really quickly, then they use the width of the field. They are trying to go through you, they are trying to go around you. They really test your defensive structure.
The number one focus is to stop Ireland at the breakdown. You have to stop that green wave, because those waves are dependent on good ruck speed and quick ball. That is why, whether the backs like it or not, games are still won and lost up front - there is no scrum-half/fly-half combination in the history of the game who have taken their team to victory after being smashed up front!
Johnny Sexton captained Ireland to the 2023 Six Nations title and is now his country's all-time record points scorer
If Ireland do get quick ball, it will be important to get up and take Johnny Sexton's space away, to control him. He is key and so influential to the way they play. He is a general and has all the attributes. He is one of the greats.
I actually thought before the World Cup that it was almost immaterial who wins Saturday's game because it is going to be tough whether you face New Zealand or France in the quarter-finals. But now I think France are certainly the tougher option and any team would prefer to avoid them.
There is no doubt the All Blacks are a bit off their game whereas playing the host nation, in Paris, with all that emotion would be a big ask for South Africa or Ireland, so this pool game has become vitally important.
South Africa's 'massive risk'
South Africa's decision to replace injured hooker Malcolm Marx with fly-half Handre Pollard concerns me. I am worried about having only one specialist hooker, Bongi Mbonambi, in the squad.
If your great strength is the scrum and you take away from that, the consequences as you go through your game plan are enormous.
I think it would be quite easy to pack down against the scrum machine in training if you are well-built and strong, like flanker Marco van Staden, who played hooker at school, but to do it in a Test match is a whole different story.
Malcolm Marx (with ball) played South Africa's opening World Cup game against Scotland but has since been ruled out with a knee injury sustained in training
I believe it was always part of the thinking that, if there was an injury, they would bring Pollard in. For me, it is a massive risk. I would have brought in another powerful hooker such as Joseph Dweba, especially as Manie Libbok has been quite an influential attacking force at fly-half so far.
Pollard is versatile, he can cover at inside centre. But if you are going with a seven-one bench split - something I never thought I would see again - then why bring him back if you are not going to put him on that bench?
It is similar with the choice of four scrum-halves in the matchday squad against Romania. Grant Williams is probably the fastest player in the whole squad so he can play on the wing, but I do not think we will see that again against a team with a strong kicking game. The contest for the high ball is such a massive part of the game nowadays and those are not players with that natural skillset.
When it comes to impact off the bench, I also want to mention South Africa's so-called "Bomb Squad".
The seven-one split, with seven forwards among the replacements and only one back, means it is a bench that can add value in different ways depending on how the match is going, specifically at the breakdown with the three "fetchers". RG Snyman will play with ball in hand, Kwagga Smith might be playing in the backs, so it is not the traditional Bomb Squad that we have seen previously.
World Cup spirit has been 'amazing'
It has been a great World Cup so far.
The post-match scenes when Fiji beat Australia epitomised it for me. The Fijians cried and celebrated while the teams also swapped shirts and walked around the field together to thank the crowd.
Those crowds have been sensational everywhere, highlighting the spirit of rugby fans and spirit of the game.
It has been a privilege to be part of it.
Joel Stranksy was speaking to BBC Sport Africa's Ian Williams