Three questions: All Blacks v Springboks

Name: Rugby: All Blacks will beat the Springboks
Uploaded: 2015-10-24T06:24:55+13:00
Duration: 237 s
Description: Gregor Paul and Patrick McKendry are pitch side with the All Blacks at the captains run before the knockout semifinal against the Springboks, and they expect big things from Aaron Smith and the All Blacks kicking game.

NZ Herald

24 Oct, 2015 12:10 AM2 mins to read

Gregor Paul and Patrick McKendry are pitch side with the All Blacks at the captains run before the knockout semifinal against the Springboks, and they expect big things from Aaron Smith and the All Blacks kicking game.

Rugby experts Wynne Gray and Dylan Cleaver answer three questions ahead of tomorrow morning's blockbuster semifinal between the All Blacks and South Africa.

1. Who will be buying the beers this week as the winning coach, Steve Hansen or Heyneke Meyer?

WG: Hansen will have to prise open the adidas wallet and part with some of his daily allowance. He'll be glad to. The only issues will be finding time to share a few quiets with Meyer and deciding whether they should glug some real ale, go for the tap beer or are restricted to their sponsors' product.

DC: Steve Hansen will be buying the beers because he's coaching 23 better players than his counterpart. South Africa will fight like lions but in the end the All Blacks have too many potential game-breakers.

2. What are you most nervous about with the All Blacks?

WG: Referee Jerome Garces taking a dislike to the All Blacks work, especially around the scrum and breakdown and offering Handre Pollard a stack of penalty attempts. That will have a knock-on effect on the All Blacks' confidence.

DC: All Blacks fans wouldn't want to see them get sucked into a set-piece battle. To my mind, the All Blacks should go out and play like they're trying to win by 30. If they come up 20 points short of that target, so be it. Sometimes when you tell yourself it's going to be a tight arm wrestle, that can almost work as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

3. Australia or Argentina?

WG: The Wallabies used all their luck last week. This week they'll bring their A-game, which will agitate the Pumas. They nailed two late tries against Ireland which inflated the winning margin in a game which was very tight until the last period.

DC: Australia quite comfortably. If it was an Argentina-South Africa semi I'd back Los Pumas, but Australia have had their number in this World Cup cycle, winning six of seven meetings. If Argentina play the ball-in-hand, phase-to-phase style they successfully employed against Ireland, then Michael Hooper and David Pocock (if fit) could have a field day.