THE knives, machetes and spears have all been out in South Africa since last Saturday evening, with all of them targeted at the Springboks and their coach Allister Coetzee after the record 57-0 mauling by a rampant All Blacks in Albany.
The venomous insults and mocking also dominated social media in the immediate few days, leading to team captain Eben Etzebeth appealing to his countrymen to stop harassing the players’ wives and girlfriends.
A record losing margin in the country’s 111-year rugby history, a period during which the rugby proud nation played 469 Tests, winning 296, losing 153 and drawing 22, giving a success percentage of 63.11. A big part of their winning percentage was however achieved until around the mid-90s.
The Springboks remain third in World Rugby’s ranking after a year in which they won five in a row before a draw against the Wallabies in Perth two weekends ago.
This winning streak, when seen in comparison to the horrible year that was 2016, lifted the hopes of South African fans. The team too sounded upbeat in the days leading to the Albany Test.
On the other hand the All Blacks had been good only in patches this year prior to that and injuries to key, very experienced players, especially with the props, made them look so vulnerable. Many said this could be the start of something worse for the defending world champions and also the Rugby Championship’s most successful team and who could blame them.
But against the Springboks, the last two seasons have been different.
In the three Tests between the two since the Rugby World Cup 2015 semi-final defeat of the Springboks in London, the All Blacks have scored 155 points against 28.
When the All Blacks ran in nine tries year in a record 57-15 drubbing in Durban in 93 Tests, Coetzee described how the embarrassment hurt. This time around there was one less try but the All Blacks also shut out the Boks completely to keep them scoreless.
It was an evening when everything went wrong for the visitors who had slighter better share of the possession and looked good and steady in the first 13 minutes. Thereafter their set pieces, particularly their lineouts which were their strength for many years, went awry. It didn’t get any easier when they were also outclassed at the breakdown.
This is not the end of the world though for the two-time World Cup winner but unless they beat the Wallabies in Bloemfontein two weekends from now before playing the All Blacks again at Newlands in their last game of the championship, Coetzee may be forced to go and the team back to square one.
If the team can turn around against the Wallabies and put up a more decent show in Newlands, one of the darkest nights ever in South African rugby last Saturday could be accepted as a one-off but for now, former coaches and star Springboks are not optimistic on the team’s future prospects.
The scenario is understandably different within New Zealand rugby, with the All Blacks selectors already naming on Monday a team travelling to Buenos Aires to play the Pumas that will be without six first choice players, including both locks.
Among the senior players included to provide the leadership and guidance are captain Kieran Read, Dane Coles, Aaron Smith and Sonny Bill Williams. Centre Anton Lienert-Brown, scrumhalves T.J. Perenara and Tawara Kerr-Barlow and hooker Codie Taylor are also in the squad to Argentina.
Recalled are flanker Jerome Kaino, who missed the last three Tests to deal with a personal issue, lock Patrick Tuipulotu and prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen.
This rotation, a one-off meant to keep the players in a good shape with the consecutive Tests against France, Scotland and Wales away in November, also means the team to play the Pumas will be a young one in average age across the starting 15.
Some from the squad will return home after Argentina but who specifically will only be decided after the game.