Springboks’ All Blacks demolition sends warning to Wallabies ahead of Perth showdown

Following the conclusion of their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, the Springboks will now turn their attention to the Wallabies as they aim for another statement victory against a Southern Hemisphere side.

Crowned winners after a 3-1 win over the All Blacks in the four Tests, the world champions underlined their ability to triumph under trying circumstances after going down 1-0 early on. They came back with three victories in a row to assert their dominance over New Zealand.

It was four bone-crunching matches filled with high intensity and, with each match, the South Africans showed their class against a determined Kiwi side.

That first Ellis Park loss of 33-16 was a massive wake-up call and something the Boks were not proud of. They looked out of sorts in that game, but it was always going to take at least one Test, apart from the battle against Argentina in South America, to really get into their groove.

And they did just that.

Backed by thousands in the stands in Cape Town for the 33-26 win, FNB Stadium (29-24) and then this past weekend in Baltimore (43-28), the Springboks delivered some of the finest performances they have had in the Rassie Erasmus era. That came despite all the external noise thrown at the team, especially after that first loss at Ellis Park.

They improved weekly and you could see it in the way the team played. However, there were still plenty of areas to improve, like converting the countless 22m entries they squandered, and playing for the full 80 minutes. And that is what the focus will be when they head to Australia, being better in those areas.

The team selection in Soweto and Baltimore showed consistency, despite a couple of injuries. Erasmus made plenty of changes between Argentina and Ellis Park, and then Ellis Park and Cape Town, which impacted on the Boks’ continuity. However, the coach was in a position to make those changes and they fielded a strong side thanks to the squad depth he had built. Not many teams can say that.

While a victory will be first prize against the Wallabies, this one-off Test gives the world champions another opportunity to experiment with team selection. Yes, the same squad will fly from the US to Perth, but there are a host of fringe players who could do with some rugby in their legs.

The next game will give Erasmus more of a chance to experiment with combinations and the opportunity to rest some players, like Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx, who have been pushed into the red against the All Blacks.

The Boks are also not really going to deviate from their game plan that is working for them. They can switch things up, play a running game and outscore a team like New Zealand six tries to four on the day like in Baltimore, but the physical and set-piece approach will always be at the top of their list.

Australia can expect a scrum, maul and running game at the Optus Stadium.

“I know we sometimes p*ss other people off around the world by the way we play, but we really care the most about South African people,” Erasmus said.

“We understand their opinions and love the banter, but there’s only one reason for us as a team and for us as a country, it’s (that we play) for South Africa.”