Let’s call back the hard men

One of the worst memories I have of this rugby season is arriving at the Free State Stadium in June just as the England team were disembarking from their coach before taking on the Springboks in the second test between the two teams.

For a team who had been beaten in the first test at Loftus – I thought unluckily, the Bok management thought deservedly – the English were surprisingly upbeat.

They were jostling each other, cracking jokes, laughing out loud and generally behaving like schoolboys.

This is the way of rugby teams… but, damn it, not before they are due to play the Springboks!

The Boks are meant to be giants. They are meant to be immensely strong. Frighteningly physical. Psychopathically mean. When England play South Africa the Poms should be quaking in their boots… not laughing and joking.

Up in the Press box I felt a depression coming over me and I predicted England would beat us. It was not a particularly prescient prediction because I had seen the evidence that Martin Johnson and his men were not scared of the Boks.

I had long thought that forfeiting physical intimidation for mobility was one of Nick Mallett’s key errors and seeing how Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Richard Hill et. al. behaved “before” playing the Boks convinced me.

Perhaps it is time for South Africa, through the ministrations of new coach Harry Viljoen, should win back the fear factor by picking a pack that can dominate; rather than conceding that domination by one pack over another “does not happen in the modern game.”

Why not? If Viljoen were to field the following set of forwards - 1.Toks van der Linde, (Os du Randt if he proves his fitness) 2. Chris Rossouw, 3. Willie Meyer, 4. Andre Venter, 5. Mark Andrews, 6. Corne Krige, 7. Rassie Erasmus, 8. AJ Venter – I can guarantee the English would view proceedings with a lot more trepidation.

This is a big, strong pack who would be able to scrum like hell, stand tall in the lineout and play with a steely edge. I’m not advocating that they play dirty; just that they refuse to allow themselves to be pushed around as the Boks were in Pretoria and Bloemfontein when Johnson and Dallaglio started, well, “to put themselves about a bit.”

Mobility? I don’t agree that this pack would give away that much. Both Toks van der Linde and Willie Meyer run and handle the ball as well as any other props currently operating and Chris Rossouw was a loose forward in his younger days.

Moving Andre Venter to lock would inject extra pace and tackling into the tight forwards while Krige, Erasmus and AJ Venter have the makings of a loose trio whose individual skills should meld into an excellent combination.

Scrumhalf? Still Joost with the rest of the backline consisting of 10. Chris Rossouw, 12. Japie Mulder, 13. Robbie Fleck, 14. Breyton Paulse, 11. Pieter Rossouw and 15. Percy Montgomery or Gaffie du Toit – the latter two of necessity edging out Thinus Delport because of goal-kicking.

Then, once the other team had been properly “saggemaak” in time-worn Springbok fashion, one could introduce the like of Ollie le Roux, John Smit, Robbie Kempson, Albert van der Berg, Hottie Louw, Hendrik Gerber, Craig Davidson, Wayne Julies or Delport, as required, to wreak havoc.

It’s time the Boks stopped pussy-footing around. It’s time the rest of the world were scared of us again and to do that we should be picking the hard men. How about it Harry?