Campo: 'Boks ripe for the plucking'
Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:08
Bullish: David Campese has backed the Aussies to beat the Boks
Australian legend David Campese reckons that the Springboks are ripe for the plucking this weekend when they face the Wallabies in a Tri-Nations encounter in Durban.
Absa Stadium, formerly known as King's Park, was also the venue the last time the Aussies beat the Boks in South Africa, way back in 2000.
Campese wrote in his column for Australian newspaper Daily Telegraph that South Africans are "divided about the new direction coach Peter de Villiers is trying to take with the Springboks", referring to the expansive gameplan the Boks are trying to achieve.
"Having lived and coached rugby in Durban for the past three years, I've come to know the mood of the South Africans towards their Springboks pretty well," wrote Campese.
"Right now they're confused and unhappy, and that spells great news for Australia as they try to end an eight-year drought in this city."
Campese made some valid points about the transition of the Springbok gameplan, and commented on the difficulties and the dangers of implementing such radical changes to a team which traditionally thrived on a conservative style of rugby.
"Though they won the World Cup last year on the strength of their forwards and a kicking game, de Villiers now wants to play more expansive 15-man rugby under the new laws.
"But the reality is you can't simply turn up one day and play 15-man rugby, because it is the most difficult style to get right, and you need absolutely everyone on the same page."
The former Wallaby wing wrote that the South Africans were slow to adapt to the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs), and that the pressure of possibly losing three Tri-Nations games on the trot would cause the Boks to revert to their conservative style.
"I reckon they will go back to their old style, play a structured game, use their big forwards and hope to score tries off turnover ball," Campese continued.
"But with the Boks having a few key injuries, I rate this Test the best chance for the Wallabies to win in South Africa since the last time they got up here in 2000.
Campese also had a parting shot at the Bok management, who have labelled the Tri-Nations schedule unfair towards the Springboks on the basis that the South Africans are the only team to tour for three weeks, while the Kiwis and the Wallabies travel to Africa for only one or two weeks.
"I like Robbie Deans' no-nonsense attitude towards touring over here. Forget the rubbish strategies about jet-lag and altitude, just get on the ground and get on with it," Campese stated.
"Touring as a team always brings you tighter, you're away from all the distractions of home and purely focused on doing a job.
"Looking at the disarray of the Springboks, I sense Australia can make the locals even crankier with a win."
