Springboks must counter All Blacks’ lateral threat in Greatest Rivalry showdown

Defensive coaches often tell players to “get North fast”. In rugby, that means moving quickly off the line, closing down space and attempting to stop an opponent behind the gainline.

For the player carrying the ball, going North means advancing upfield, winning ground and embracing the physical contest. It is associated with positive carries, dominant collisions and progress. If one side is going North, the other is being forced South – and that usually signals trouble.

That North-South battle, built around the gainline, is the traditional way of assessing rugby. Dominant tackles, line speed and the success or failure of carries are all closely measured, either to compare individuals or to explain the outcome of a match.

The Springboks excel in that area. In attack, they create line breaks, accumulate carry metres and win a high number of collisions. Defensively, they defend aggressively, moving up quickly and trying to knock opponents backwards.

But while the North-South contest remains central to the game, the decisive factor in the series against the All Blacks could be found along a different axis.

The Boks’ ability to defend laterally – across the field from East to West – may determine the outcome of the Greatest Rivalry showdown.

All Blacks’ attacking variety

New Zealand’s most obvious strengths are their rapid tempo, their ability to attack from almost anywhere and the range of skills that can dismantle a defence in an instant. Yet those qualities are usually the result of other events: quick ball from a ruck, a turnover or a defensive mistake.

The more significant question is what the All Blacks do to create those opportunities.

Their lateral attack allows them to apply pressure at different widths and in different areas of the field. They can probe close to the ruck, move the ball through the middle or stretch the defence towards the touchline. That constant variation eventually creates an opening.

The strongest All Blacks sides of the past built their attacks on patient and relentless examination of the defence. They would use pick-and-goes, narrow forward combinations, a strike through the centre, another series of short carries, a snipe from the scrum-half and then a wide attack.

An offload or a carry back through the middle could follow. The aim was not simply to run a set pattern, but to keep testing the defence until a missed tackle, a slow movement across the field or a numerical error appeared.

That approach differs from the more rigid phase structures associated with Irish rugby. New Zealand’s attack is more instinctive, reacting to the picture in front of it and searching continuously for a weakness.

The All Blacks appear to be rediscovering that quality, and it could present a more serious threat to the Springboks than the physical battle alone.

Spacing will be crucial

The Boks can still limit New Zealand through their traditional strengths. Powerful tackles can disrupt momentum and create turnover opportunities. Fast line speed can force the All Blacks into rushed decisions, while winning the gainline allows South Africa to reorganise more quickly and makes it harder for New Zealand to establish attacking shape.

However, the Springboks’ lateral organisation will be just as important.

Their spacing must be neither so narrow that New Zealand can work around them nor so wide that the defenders lose their ability to operate as a connected unit. South Africa will need to adjust constantly to the attacking picture while preserving the links between defenders.

A warning came in the match against Scotland, when the Boks conceded a series of line breaks that at first appeared difficult to explain. Scotland widened its attacking pods and used broader passes from the ruck, stretching South Africa’s defensive spacing and isolating forwards or defenders who had become disconnected.

Once the defensive line was pulled apart, individual decisions became more difficult and support was reduced. It also became harder for two defenders to combine in a double tackle, weakening South Africa’s ability to win the gainline.

Scotland further exposed those gaps with intelligent running lines and angles. The All Blacks are capable of taking that method to another level.

South Africa’s defensive success will therefore depend on its connection, positioning and ability to move across the field as one unit.

Reading the deception

New Zealand are also likely to use “stack attack” formations, with three, four or even five runners positioned in layers. If a defender commits to the first option, the ball can be moved to a runner coming around behind it.

Eventually, a defence can run out of players if too many commit to the wrong threat.

The Springboks will need defenders who can interpret those movements quickly, identify body language and resist following decoy runners. Players must be able to slide away from false options and stay with the carrier who is most likely to receive the ball.

As the All Blacks try to create width in attack, South Africa must create the same width in defence without losing its structure. The danger increases when a player initially appearing to be a decoy becomes the real carrier.

The lateral contest will also be evident in the relationship between New Zealand’s running and kicking games.

The All Blacks may run repeatedly to encourage defenders to advance or narrow their positioning before turning to the boot. A kick-pass, a grubber down the line or a dink into open space can then exploit the room created by that defensive movement.

Those choices place particular pressure on the edge defenders and back three. They must decide whether to come in and stop a running move or hold their width to cover a kick-pass or bridge pass.

It will not be a challenge limited to the back three. The players defending on the edge must also read the attack accurately and make the correct decision at the right moment.

Josh Moorby of the All Blacks scores against the Bulls. (Photo by Johan Orton/Gallo Images)

The importance of scramble defence

The final element of South Africa’s lateral defence is its ability to scramble across the field after a break has been made.

The Boks’ North-South rush receives much of the praise, but their East-West cover defence is what makes the system complete. Their work rate and determination to reach the edge, stop a line break or close down an incursion are among their most impressive qualities.

A break may look dramatic, but the damage is often limited if the defender catches the ball-carrier close to the original gainline. South Africa’s aggressive defensive line can create extra depth for its scramble defence, giving players more time and space to recover before the attacker makes significant progress.

The series will still be judged through familiar North-South statistics, including dominant carries and line speed. But the more revealing contest could take place across the width of the pitch.

The All Blacks are showing signs of reviving their old probing game, and the Springboks may need more than physical power to withstand it.