Springboks set an extra-big ‘bomb’ for New Zealand with unique tactics for Rugby World Cup final

Jacques Nienaber said the Springboks considered the more traditional option of 5-3 and the slightly risky 6-2. Then they went 7-1 and all-in for the Rugby World Cup final and Nienaber’s last game as coach of South Africa.

Nienaber along with his coach In order to take on New Zealand in rugby’s biggest match, South Africa’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, took a chance on a high-risk, high-reward plan that involved starting seven forwards and only one backline player on the bench.

In elite rugby, only the Springboks have shown the courage, obstinacy, or stupidity to take such a risk. On Saturday, they will introduce it for the third time at Stade de France, where misguided experiments have no place.

Nienaber’s statement, “The team is not 15 (players), it is 23,” expressed South Africa’s conviction that its bench is just as important as its starting lineup, particularly the forwards. It’s what we always say. When choosing a squad, there are

a lot of things that influence that from medical to past performances and a lot of analysis into New Zealand and where we think we can get the edge on them.

Nienaber along with his coach In order to take on New Zealand in rugby’s biggest match, South Africa’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, took a chance on a high-risk, high-reward plan that involved starting seven forwards and only one backline player on the bench.

In elite rugby, only the Springboks have shown the courage, obstinacy, or stupidity to take such a risk. On Saturday, they will introduce it for the third time at Stade de France, where misguided experiments have no place.

Nienaber’s statement, “The team is not 15 (players), it is 23,” expressed South Africa’s conviction that its bench is just as important as its starting lineup, particularly the forwards. It’s what we always say. When choosing a squad, there are

Nienaber said he’s simply selecting “a team that you think can get a result.”

“The 23 we selected for a reason and the reason is we think they can deliver and win us a back-to-back World Cup.”

In their five years with the Springboks, which have already witnessed one World Cup victory in 2019, Nienaber and Erasmus have undoubtedly changed several aspects of rugby. Regardless of where the trophy ends up on Saturday night, they will end their association with another semi-revolutionary move.

South Africa pushed the high contestable kick idea tenaciously in that tournament, and it is currently widely accepted by others. As it is in rugby today, the lineout maul was an essential tool for the Springboks four years ago when they were trying to score tries.

2019 saw the birth of South Africa’s “bomb squad,” or bench-warming group of forwards who effectively make up a second pack. The country had previously experimented with varying the composition of its reserves, beginning with a 6-2 forwards-backs split.

“The 6-2 a couple of years back was new to people and now a lot of teams are doing it,” Erasmus said earlier at the World Cup.

But the Springboks bomb squad on Saturday is larger than ever.

Two months ago, South Africa had their first trial of the 7-1, which ended with a record 35-7 victory over the All Blacks, who were reduced to 14 men following the red card of forward Scott Barrett. In the pool round, Ireland defeated South Africa 13-8, therefore the 7-1 didn’t work.

The Rugby World Cup final is, in every aspect, the pivotal match for an extra-large Springboks bomb set by Nienaber and Erasmus for the final time. So, it’s won one, lost one with the 7-1 split.

“Taking some gas out of that bomb would be a good idea, wouldn’t it?” Coach Jason Ryan of New Zealand forwards remarked.