Australia v South Africa: Resurgent Boks with proud Perth record come up against hostile home crowd
By Keith Moore
Last Updated: 08/09/17 12:31pm
Five talking points ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship clash between Australia and South Africa, live on Sky Sports Action from 10.45am.
Bok resurgence
After a disastrous 2016 the Springboks are starting to show flickers of their former glory. A three-Test whitewash of France has been backed up by consecutive wins over Argentina in the opening two fixtures of the Rugby Championship.
The Boks have already won more games this year than they won all of last year, but the next two weeks will be a huge test of their projected resurgence.
Though Allister Coetzee will be happy with the turnaround, with France ranked eighth in the world and Argentina 10th, this weekend's prospect of the Wallabies - fifth in the international ladder - poses the biggest threat of 2017.
The outcome of this encounter will go a long way to determining how far the Boks have come since last year, as they come up against a side that pushed the All Blacks all the way in New Zealand last time out - albeit with some issues along the way.
Perth record
As far as away records go, the Springboks haven't fared too badly in Perth over the years. Out of eight fixtures played, the Boks have been beaten four times but won on three occasions, with a 14-14 draw playing out in 2001.
South Africa have only won five times in Australia overall since returning from isolation in 1993, so their three victories in Perth (1998, 2005, 2009) show what a happy hunting ground it if for the Boks.
In the games that the Springboks have lost in Perth they have come away with a losing bonus point, with seven-point losses on two occasions (2008, 2012) the worst they've fared in the city.
Starting well never seems to be an issue for the 2007 World Champions, but the finishing has failed them in the past. In the eight games contested, Australia have only led once at half-time; a 5-3 advantage in 2008 in a game they ended up winning 16-9, so South Africa have failed to capitalise on seven half-time leads.
Coetzee will have spent the week reminding his side about the importance of staying switched on for the full 80 minutes against their hosts.
Scrum wars
In the first Test between the Boks and Argentina in their Rugby Championship opener, the Springbok front row pulverised their opposite numbers to set the tone for a comfortable victory.
In the following week, Argentina swapped out both props which resulted in a far sturdier set piece, despite playing almost half the game a man down after Tomas Lavanini was given his permanent marching orders for receiving two yellow cards. However the return to form for prop Beast Mtawarira and the solid platform provided by Coenie Oosthuizen and hooker Malcolm Marx should still give the Boks the edge up front in Perth.
The Wallabies, on the other hand, were hammered on the scoreboard in their tournament opener in Sydney last month but their scrum stood up to the All Blacks. In the second week the reverse was true, with Australia in the lead up until the 78th minute before a Beauden Barrett try snatched a late victory for the home side.
Arguably, through, New Zealand wouldn't have even been in the Dunedin contest were it not for the fact that the Kiwis had splintered the Wallaby scrum at each time of asking at the Forsyth Barr Stadium. The All Blacks won penalty after penalty, and Aaron Smith's try in the final play of the first half came directly from a completely dominant New Zealand scrum.
If the Springboks can put their hosts on the back foot on Saturday they will take a big step towards an important victory in the context of the tournament as well as their revival.
Force issues
The Wallabies head into Saturday's clash with the unusual prospect of facing a potentially hostile home crowd.
The Perth faithful will turn out in droves to voice their anger after local side the Western Force were axed from the Super Rugby competition. The decision was made by the ARU, with RugbyWA having their subsequent appeal at the New South Wales state Supreme Court rejected as recently as Tuesday.
Though the locals will no doubt support the Wallaby team, their disapproval of those who run the game in the country could cloud the reception facing Michael Cheika's men. However Cheika is hoping the protests will be limited to the wearing of T-shirts in Force blue, and suggested the Wallabies could be an agent of conciliation to the Perth public.
"There's been a lot of talk amongst the team around what Saturday is going to mean, in perhaps a symbolic sense from us as the team to the people over here," Cheika told reporters in the city on Thursday.
Wallaby second row Adam Coleman, who is contracted by the Force, said he doesn't mind what the locals wear as long as they get behind the home side rather than the Springboks.
"They can come out in a gold jersey or a blue jersey, just don't come out in a green jersey," Coleman said.
Loose forward battle
South African flankers Siya Kolisi and Jaco Kriel have been immense for the Springboks in 2017, and the physically imposing pair drew praise from Wallaby skipper Michael Hooper.
"We expect them to be very strong over the ball, both of those players are really good carriers and defenders there," Hooper said.
"It's a different jersey size at the end of the day from some of the guys that used to be playing to what they are now.
"But (they're) no less effective in what they do and how they get around the field."
Kolisi was man of the match in the Boks' wins over the Pumas in Port Elizabeth and Salta, and the Stormers loose forward is keen to continue that form against Saturday's hosts.
"I want to play well and make sure that I put my firm hand on the jersey because I haven't played a lot in a starting position so I am trying to use that as best as I can," Kolisi said.
"We are very young and I've only got a couple of Tests under my belt and we learn a lot from each other."
Australia's back row were in superb form against the All Blacks in the second round, so the battle at the breakdown will no doubt prove a closely-fought affair on Saturday.
Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Reece Hodge, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia; 1 Scott Sio, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Rory Arnold, 5 Adam Coleman, 6 Ned Hanigan, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 8 Sean McMahon.
Replacements: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Tom Robertson, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Samu Kerevi, 23 Curtis Rona.
South Africa: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Raymond Rhule, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje; 1 Tendai Mtawarira, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 4 Eben Etzebeth (c), 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 7 Jaco Kriel, 8 Uzair Cassiem.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Jean Luc du Preez, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Damian de Allende.
