Tri-Nations – now for the real thing

The Wallabies acknowledge they are still a work in progress, New Zealand has focused its preparations on ways to nullify the aerial superiority by South Africa, and the Springboks have to explain some baffling backline selections to convince certain critics that they will successfully defend their Tri-Nations crown.

The Tri-Nations campaign will kick off at Auckland on 10 July with a Test between New Zealand and South Africa.

Australia

After scraping through against Ireland with a rather flattering score line of 22-15 last Saturday, Australian captain Rocky Elsom acknowledged that his team still had much work to do to be competitive in the Tri-Nations competition.

“We just weren’t sharp enough and not on the same page [as New Zealand and South Africa],” he said.

Australia has been viewed by some notable rugby critics as the likely winner of the World Cup in 2011.

Os du Randt, current Springbok scrum doctor, said he was extremely impressed by the performance in the scrums by some of the Australian Super 14 teams.

Players such as Ben Alexander and Benn Robinson buried the myth that the Australians were vulnerable against giant scrumming machines.

They could field a potent backline with game breakers who have the ability to run impressive opponents ragged, he said.

But Australia could not field its first-choice props lately, and lost the second Test against England as a result.

John Eales, the former Australian captain, said the goal of the Wallabies must be to raise the standard of their poor performances.

“The differential between our best and poorer performances is substantial. and great teams show minimal variation,” he said.

Symptomatic of the uncertainty with this team is the goal-kicking standoff. Curiously, right-footed Quade Cooper takes aim from his preferred left side of the field and goofy-footed Matt Giteau lines up from the right side. They seemed to swap around the midfield duty.

“A show of faith in both, you might say. But it could also be viewed as a lack of faith in both,” Eales warned.

New Zealand

The Springboks' dominant lineout and New Zealand's inability to handle the high ball were features of last season's "blackwash" in the Tri-Nations, but there is confidence that those areas have been addressed well, reported the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA).

Forwards coach Steve Hansen, who must again try to outwit world-class lock Victor Matfield, reckoned the lineout had improved several notches on this stage last year.

"We now step up into the big boys' league and I think we can go in there with some confidence, as long as we keep it smart and keep it simple and people do their job," he said.

Winger Cory Jane, a standout figure in New Zealand's hammering of Ireland and twin defeats of Wales, expected another aerial bombardment even though this season's rule interpretations had prompted less kicking in general play.

"I presume they'll keep kicking, we just have to keep working on our counter-attack," Jane told NZPA.

Graham Henry, the All Black coach, made an unexpected manoeuvre at the end of last week by dropping four noted players when unveiling his Tri-Nations squad.

And that is arguably New Zealand’s greatest single mystery, and also its biggest problem. In eight years at the helm, Henry has never once selected the same 22 players for successive Tests. That contributed to New Zealand's defeat in the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal when a lack of backline leaders in the team gifted the France the match.

While Henry likes to keep his players honest, he also feeds inconsistency and insecurity.

South Africa

South Africa played with vigour and intensity in dismantling Italy in East London.

“I am much happier. We got the send-off for the Tri-Nations we needed. We wanted a good workout and we wanted to play much better – and we did both,” coach Peter de Villiers said of his team's 55-11 win over Italy.

What was baffling, though, were the choices of the substitute bench for the internationals at Auckland, Wellington (17 July) and Brisbane (24 July).

South Africa will start with Enrico Januarie at scrumhalf, a man who looked out of sorts in the second Test against Italy. The team flirted with Ruan Pienaar as substitute wing, used Jean de Villiers as wing as well, and announced the inclusion of Francois Hougaard in the Tri-Nations squad.

According to certain critics, De Villiers' reasoning behind the move is to use Hougaard as scrumhalf substitute. Hougaard has not featured for the Bulls at scrumhalf in the past two seasons.

Pienaar represented the Sharks in this position in the final half of the Super 14 season and at times edged Fourie du Preez in terms of excellent form.

Yet, the Bok management persists with Januarie, and is contemplating the move to use Hougaard in a position in which he has not been tried and tested at this level.

Hougaard has been sensational at wing for the Bulls, but scrumhalf? It does not make sense.

Another possible blunder was not to use Francois Steyn’s massive boot as a possible weapon. If Steyn looked rusty against Wales, his form might have been improved by using him in the lesser internationals off the substitute bench against Italy.

Zane Kirchner has struggled to make the step up to the Springboks from Super 14 level.

Despite these reservations, most pundits give the Boks a chance to repeat their Tri-Nations triumph of 2009. The Kiwis may not have the benefit of a psychological advantage playing at home against South Africa.

The Bulls and the Stormers were overwhelmingly successful in New Zealand, and even the Sharks scored two notable victories there.

South Africa’s formidable performances in the lineouts, scrums and at the rucks will send a few shivers down the spine of the All Blacks and the Wallabies.

And there are sufficient superb game-breakers at the back to keep the New Zealand and Australian teams honest come Tri-Nations time.