Springboks to play 'winning rugby'
Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:45
The Springboks would love to enter into the spirit of the occasion and employ an expansive gameplan when South Africa face the Barbarians in a year-ending 'international' at Twickenham, London, on Saturday. However, the inherent desire for victory will result in the Boks sticking to their ingrained structured gameplan. This is the view of veteran lock Johan Ackermann, who was called up this week to replace injured World Cup star Bakkies Botha in the Bok second row. The 37-year-old lock said South Africa would, as always, place a lot of emphasis on their set-pieces and lay a platform from which the backs can launch their raids when the gaps open up later in the game. "Yes, we can join in the festivities and try to play an expansive game, but unfortunately you don't enjoy rugby if you have to stand behind your own posts all the time [when the opposition has scored]," Ackermann told rugby365.com from the team's London base. "We will still place a lot of emphasis on our set-pieces - such as our scrums, line-outs, driving play, etc. "If, through our set-pieces, the opportunities arrive where the gaps open, we will give the backs the ball to run. "However, the forwards will stick to our structures as much as possible." Whilst the Baa-baas might struggle to gel as a unit, considering they will have had only a few training sessions together as a team this week, Ackermann believes individual brilliance within the Barbarians selection could be South Africa's biggest threat. "Their team, if you look at it, has some great individuals. How they will gel as a team I don't know, but individually they have some brilliant players... the likes of [Joe] Rokocoko, [Ma'a] Nonu and Justin Marshall. "They will obviously like to play a very expansive game, but we will have to get the basics right before we can think of entering into an open game." The Baa-baas selection also includes a number of South Africans - the Stormers trio of JD Moller (prop), Schalk Brits (hooker) and Peter Grant (fly-half), all of whom will be looking to impress the national selectors. "The game will be played in good spirits. My roommate is Schalk Burger and he has already met and chatted with Peter Grant and Schalk Brits this week. "However, on the field there will be no love lost, because once the game gets underway we will have to tackle them as well." Ackermann described his post-RWC selection for the Springboks as an "honour and privilege", even though it is a not cap game. "Just to play for my country and just to play in a Bok jersey is a huge honour," he said. "I haven't done that [playing for the Boks] nearly enough and I am looking forward to the game in that regard," he said of his previous 13 internationals. He added that even though it has been a long, hard year and many players are now looking to get home after months on the road, the responsibility is there - after the Boks had such a great year - to end 2007 on a high. "That pressure [to win] is there and we're aiming to finish on a winning note, even though it is a festive match," said the Sharks hard man. The tough-as-teak Ackermann, best known for his no-nonsense, physical approach to the game, might have missed out on World Cup selection, but he remains confident of grabbing this rare chance to face the Baa-baas. By Jan de Koning
