Wallabies target breakdown
2008-08-20 14:00
Johannesburg - Australia will focus on the breakdown in Saturday's Tri-Nations Test in Durban which has become a must-win for South Africa if they still have any ambitions of an unlikely Tri-Nations win.
It is at the breakdowns that they laid the foundation for their win in Perth a month ago, and it is at the breakdown where the Springboks were outplayed by the All Blacks last Saturday.
The Wallabies, who announce their team for the Test on Thursday, generally expect the Springboks to persevere with the more expansive style that coach Peter de Villiers advocates - and they will see to it that their defensive structures are held throughout the match as this is where turnovers can come from.
The Boks are however aware that they were well-beaten in this facet by the All Blacks and have this week worked on getting numbers to the breakdown. They will also hope to exploit the Wallabies' lineout after their annihilation in this department against the All Blacks in Auckland.
Mixed success
The Springboks expect a tremendous onslaught from the Wallabies up front and want to counter this by being as clinical as possible in the first phases and the breakdown.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has admitted that he doesn't know exactly what the Springboks are planning but expects the "new" style to be mixed with the old. The Wallaby players, however, seem to favour the all-out running that De Villiers has implemented with mixed success.
"(We'll get) a bit of both I think," Deans said, referring to the style of play expected from the Boks. "They'll see us as a different proposition than the All Blacks and they'll identify some things that they think will work for them. I've got no idea what they are but they will have some plans for sure," Deans said according to the website foxsports.com.
The Wallabies need to win one of the two Tests in South Africa to ensure that they remain in with a chance of winning the title in their last match against the All Blacks in Brisbane next month. They have been downplaying suggestions that victory in Durban is more achievable than trying to break a 45-year drought in the altitude of Johannesburg.
- SAPA