Morne van den Berg: Springboks plan to frustrate Cameron Roigard with team systems

South Africa scrumhalf Morne van den Berg says the Springboks will target New Zealand’s attacking structure rather than focus solely on Cameron Roigard in Saturday’s third Test of the Greatest Rivalry Series at FNB Stadium.

Roigard has been in outstanding form and is regarded as the leading No 9 in the world at present. However, Van Den Berg believes South Africa’s best way of limiting the New Zealand scrumhalf is to ensure their own systems function properly and place pressure on the All Blacks as a team.

The Springboks’ aim will be to challenge New Zealand at the ruck, slow the speed of possession and make life difficult for Roigard behind a retreating or under-pressure pack.

“Yeah, Cam’s a very good player, but then you just refer back to your systems,” Van Den Berg told reporters on Wednesday.

“I think if we are good enough and if we want to get right what we want to get right, then he’s going to have a difficult day behind a slow ruck.”

Van Den Berg said the Springboks understood the threat posed by Roigard, but insisted their preparation should not become centred on stopping one individual.

“As a scrumhalf, it’s really difficult if your pack is going back, so for us it’s just to put more pressure on them as a team rather than focus on him as an individual,” he said.

The South Africa scrumhalf added: “We know what he’s capable of, but it’s more of shutting the All Blacks down and not Cam Roigard down.”

His comments underline the importance South Africa place on collective execution during the decisive Test. Rather than designing their approach around a direct battle between the two scrumhalves, the Springboks intend to use pressure from the whole team to disrupt New Zealand’s possession and reduce the space and time available to Roigard.

A slow ruck can make the position particularly demanding for any scrumhalf, and Van Den Berg believes that South Africa’s forwards will have a central role in determining how effectively Roigard can influence the match. If the Springboks can apply sufficient pressure and maintain their defensive systems, they expect the All Blacks’ No 9 to face a difficult contest.

The focus, therefore, will be on South Africa’s ability to deliver its game plan accurately, rather than on treating Roigard as an isolated problem. Van Den Berg’s message is that the Springboks must first get their own performance right before they can restrict the threat posed by New Zealand’s in-form scrumhalf.

The third Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks at FNB Stadium on Saturday kicks off at 17:10.