All Blacks v Springboks: Speed versus power at the heart of first test – Gregor Paul
Springboks v All Blacks, 3am Sunday
By Gregor Paul in Johannesburg
And just like that, the sun came out in Johannesburg and the heat went up to levels that most in New Zealand would consider uncomfortable.
From being unseasonably cold when the All Blacks arrived on the high veldt last week to prepare to play the Bulls, the switch was flicked by the weather gods four days out from the first test against the Springboks, with the sun beating down on the national team as they trained at St Stithians College in Sandton.
The temperature gauge said 27C, but no doubt the contingent of All Blacks forwards who were being put through endless running endurance drills for the last 20 minutes of the session would have sworn it was hotter.
With the altitude and heat, there was a lot of heavy breathing to be heard as the various groups of tight forwards worked through repeat sprints.
It could be said that the sound of the All Blacks forwards trying to catch their breath as they ran themselves ragged is the soundtrack to Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
In so many ways it illustrated, perhaps, the essence of what the series between New Zealand and South Africa is really about.
It is an ideological battle: an epically-scaled, four-test fight to determine whether the rugby doctrine of New Zealand is more powerful and compelling than the rugby doctrine of South Africa.
The closest parallel would perhaps be the English Reformation in the 16th century, because winning the series doesn’t just bring the obvious glory of vanquishing a much-respected opponent, it comes with all sorts of influence around the world table, stronger media coverage to sway preferred narratives and most likely, an element of imitation among the other leading teams.
In practical terms, the decision-makers at World Rugby will be inclined to side with the winners and see their ideology as the one to which they should set their referee settings.
If it’s the All Blacks who win, the edict will come down from upon high that referees need to hurry players along to lineouts, check the credibility of injuries and maybe even conversations will be had about adopting Super Rugby Pacific’s initiative of putting shot clocks on all set-piece work and stoppages in play.
If it’s the Springboks who win, referees at next year’s World Cup next year will be told not to worry about prolonged stoppages, there will be some new interpretation designed to make defending driving mauls harder and halfbacks will be given the proverbial age to drag the ball to the back of the enormous caterpillar ruck and box-kick at their leisure.
The sweat-soaked All Blacks forwards slugging it out in the midday heat was the metaphor of how New Zealand want to play a fast, aerobic, explosive game – and how their rugby doctrine is based on the idea of speed being fundamental to the essence of the sport.
But this shouldn’t be read, as it clearly has been by some journalists and administrators in South Africa, as New Zealand believing their way of playing is the right way: the only way.
There has been some confusion in the interpretation of what All Blacks coach Dave Rennie and others connected to the team have been saying when they have called for referees to speed things up.
What they mean is that they want the ball to get in play quickly. That they want referees to tell teams to stop the prolonged meetings before lineouts and get on with it.
It’s mostly because they want to try to generate fatigue into the contest and these slowing-down tactics are a way of offsetting that, and it’s a little bit because they recognise the All Blacks are in the entertainment business and these prolonged stoppages are not good for fan engagement.
What it doesn’t mean is that there is no respect for the South African playing ideology. There absolutely is. What makes the series so fascinating – and rugby so compelling – is that there are such stylistic differences as to bring deep, strategic thinking into play.
This is what makes rugby the game it is – New Zealand play one way, South Africa another and to homogenise styles or to try to get everyone to adopt the one doctrine would be fatal for the game.
The All Blacks have spent their two weeks in South Africa lamenting that they no longer have regular contact through Super Rugby, and that’s because the players enjoy being tested by teams who like to scrum for penalties, drive mauls and generate aerial contests.
The quest for a quicker game is not an attempt to convert South Africa to New Zealand’s rugby ideology, but to simply say the Springboks can play however they like, but they just have to get the ball back in play quicker and stop feigning injury whenever they feel they need a rest.
Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand’s most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.
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