LOCALS ARE hoping the Wallabies turn out to be half-baked at the Cake Tin tomorrow. It has little to do with an atavistic antipathy to Australia: New Zealanders would simply prefer South Africa to be the All Blacks’ opponents in the semi-final.
They fear the Robbie Deans factor. The Australia coach was passed over for the New Zealand job in 2007 and was immediately invited across the Tasman. The prospect of the All Blacks continuing their run of failure in the World Cup at the hands of one of their own, never mind that the Wallabies’ outhalf Quade Cooper was born in Auckland, is too appalling to contemplate.
It will come to pass if recent form is a barometer. Australia have won five of their past six Tests against South Africa, including a double in this year’s Tri-Nations, yet as both sides have been insisting all week, a World Cup knockout match carries a pressure all of its own.
The holders are seen, along with England, as the masters of cut-throat rugby, eliminating risk and preying on weakness. Australia, like New Zealand, are reluctant to tighten up. They look to win a match, while South Africa set out not to lose.
“South Africa and England know what it takes to get to a final,” said the Springboks’ injured secondrow Bakkies Botha, a winner in 2007. “I would say the only difference between the Springboks this year and 2007 is experience. The bodies are older but the experience we have is phenomenal. When the pressure is on and there are only a few points between the teams, knowhow counts for so much. I was in a different world in the final in 2007. I was so focused on my job I have no recall of how anything looked off the field.”
South Africa are not the same as 2007, a tournament they set out to win with the meanest defence. They have shown a greater willingness to attack this time and it is not quite the clash of styles with Australia it would have been four years ago.
Australia have a potent back division, reinforced by the return of the wing Digby Ioane, but they have also developed a kicking game. If South Africa rush in defence, Cooper will not be afraid to chip into space and he will look to test Patrick Lambie, who is an outhalf by preference.
The Springboks started their final group game against Samoa by going on the attack from the start. Prompted by scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, they looked to create space and were rewarded with an early 13-point lead. It was only when Samoa sorted out their set-pieces and started to win turnovers that South Africa resorted to a kicking game.
“Australia can live with anyone physically,” said South Africa forwards coach Gary Gold. “They are a dangerous team, young and athletic with exciting backs who will move you around the park and forwards who can keep up.”
The weather is set fair, a forecast that prompted Deans to smile yesterday. “The players are excited by what lies ahead,” he said. “A few blokes remember our last quarter-final and they have expressed their views. We will be ready.”
