Coach Coetzee hopes reshuffled three-quarters will come up trumps for the Springboks
Springbok Allister Coetzee has turned to the tried and tested midfield pairing of Juan de Jongh and Damian de Allende as a trump card for the Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks in Durban on Saturday.
Although the duo has played together as a combination several times under his watch as a Stormers head coach, they have never yet manned the Springbok midfield as a unit.
In recent seasons, De Allende established himself as a world-class inside centre but this season, coming back from an extended injury layoff he has not yet performed to his full potential.
De Jongh has only recently returned to Springbok fold after he fell out of favour with the previous national coach Heyneke Meyer. He ran out at inside-centre against Australia last week but now Coetzee has moved him to a familiar outside-centre berth.
“It is the very first time they will be playing together in the Bok team and I am looking forward to the contest,” said Coetzee, at Thursday’s team announcement in Durban.
“I must say that Juan has been the live-wire in the team’s defensive organisation. His communication has given us lots of confidence.
“When one looks at Damian, you’ll remember what he was like last year when you guys (the media) rated him the best No 12 in the world because he dominated the gain line.
“So this what teams look for in a midfield unit and you need a No 12 who can do that.
“On the other hand, the conditions may be such that you need a No 12 who can run straight and hard and Damian is that man as well.”
Last week’s outside centre Jesse Kriel has gone down with a groin injury and Coetzee felt it was wise to rest him.
“It’s that kind of injury that one has to respect and allow him to rest.”
Coetzee has made another adjustment to his three-quarters and Bryan Habana and Francois Hougaard have switched ends.
“I don’t want to disclose completely why I moved Bryan back to leftwing except to say it is for tactical reasons and he is back in his best position,” said Coetzee, adding that Habana has shaken off his injury concerns.
Whereas the Boks will be looking to continue their team-building process under a new coach, New Zealand will be out to extend their winning sequence and will start Saturday’s Test with 16 consecutive wins behind them.
South Africa and New Zealand are the only two Tier 1 countries who hold the record for most consecutive wins. Between 1965 and 1969 New Zealand recorded 17 consecutive wins before the Springboks beat them in Pretoria in July 1970.
During the 1997/98 seasons, South Africa equalled the record with 17 consecutive Test victories before losing to England in December 1998.
New Zealand repeated this feat and won 17 consecutive Test matches during 2013/14, this time being stopped by Australia who drew their first Castle Lager Rugby Championship match of 2014 in Sydney, 12-12.
One Springbok player who has fond memories of playing the All Blacks in Durban is flyhalf Morné Steyn. Back in August 2009, the Boks defeated the All Blacks 31-19 and Steyn scored all his side’s 31 points with a try, conversion and eight penalty goals.