Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok has no doubts that the battle for dominance against England on Saturday will start up-front.
While he orchestrated an outstanding first-half attacking display a year ago against Australia at Ellis Park, with the Bok backline firing from the outset in a Test that ultimately ended in a heavy defeat, Libbok believes the forwards must first lay the platform for the backs to express themselves this weekend.
It is the opening match of the Nations Championship for both sides, and the highly anticipated clash in Johannesburg (5.40pm kick-off) between the world champions and England is widely viewed as the standout fixture of the weekend.
According to Libbok, the coaches have empowered the players to deliver on Saturday.
“Coach Tony (Brown) has given us a clear gameplan and framework to go out there and execute against England,” Libbok said this week.
“At the same time, we can express ourselves within the framework. And that is what I love about our coaches here. When you put in the work throughout the week, prepare well and have your plans in place, you are clear on how you want to play.
“It’s just a matter of going out there and executing the plan and bringing a bit of you to the game. It’s been awesome.”
According to Libbok, Brown has not made any major changes to the attack. Instead, the focus has been on refining what the Springboks have already been building.
“We are building on our game in terms of what we’ve been doing throughout last season since coach Tony came into the Bok environment. There are small things we add to our game to be better and more powerful on the attack.”
With Libbok at flyhalf, the Boks will also lean heavily on fullback Damian Willemse to complement the attack led by their No 10. Willemse will earn his 50th Test cap for the world champions, and Libbok says their understanding remains as strong as ever.
The pair won the United Rugby Championship (URC) with the Stormers and were teammates in Cape Town for four seasons before Libbok moved to Japan. They also represented South Africa together at age-group level.
“We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and know each other well. We also feed off each other. That connection has been developed over the last couple of years by playing together often. When we go onto the field, we don’t have to say a lot to one another.
“We feed off each other and what the other is going to do in a game. However, this is going to be a tough battle. England have quality individuals and are a well-coached and organised team. It will be a difficult Test.
“But the focus is on us, and we had a really good week of preparation over the last three days. I know we are ready, and so are they. They will come at us hard, but we are looking forward to it.
“It is always a tough game against them, even when you look back on the history of matches. We expect the same this coming weekend.”
