Bulls coach Johan Ackermann believes Johan Grobbelaar and Elrigh Louw will take valuable intelligence with them when they return to the Springbok camp this week.
The Bok duo only arrived in South Africa last week after facing Argentina in Buenos Aires the previous weekend, and were late additions to the Bulls’ 23-man squad that went down 50-19 to the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening.
The pair had been granted special permission by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus to get some game time ahead of the first Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at Ellis Park this Saturday.
Ackermann feels Grobbelaar and Louw are now in a good position to return to the Boks after coming off the bench in Pretoria.
“Obviously, I think it’s great for them to have a taste of the All Blacks and feel that on the field. They now can take that knowledge back to the Boks,” Ackermann said.
“When they were [made] available, it’s great for us as a team, but it’s also our obligation to serve SA Rugby, to make sure they get that extra game time if they can.
“Credit to Grobbies and Elrigh. They both made a difference in that second half.
“If you look just at Grobbies, if you had to put a pin on him and follow him, the work rate he got through and the metres he covered…
“They had one training [session], but they made the effort to get all the knowledge and get everything done.
“We went in with a very basic plan. We just wanted to say, ‘Can we keep to that plan and see where it takes us, even if there are mistakes?’
“And that’s the great thing. We actually were better in that in the second half than the first half when we were fresh. Credit to them. They really did well.”
The former Bok second-rower, who faced the All Blacks back in 1996 when the tourists claimed their first and only series triumph in South Africa, believes Erasmus’ charges have the experience and quality to turn around the result this time around.
“Obviously, the Springboks are match-fit and there are quality players,” Ackermann said. “They’ve played a long time together and they’ve got some of the best heads in the world putting a plan together.
“The All Blacks maybe had the scoreboard luxury tonight to try a few things from deep in their own half that I don’t think they’ll get away with against the Springboks.
“That’s the way they do play sometimes, but they may find themselves a bit in trouble with that. I think the Springboks will be well prepared. Time will tell.”
