Stephen Donald, the legendary New Zealand flyhalf, has pinpointed Springbok powerhouse Eben Etzebeth as a key threat that the All Blacks must contain in their upcoming clash. Speaking on The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav podcast, he emphasized the importance of Etzebeth ahead of the third Test in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at FNB Stadium.
"Big Eben, he's being a menace at lineout time, a bit talismanic around the park. I think he's hugely important for them," Donald commented.
"But just like with the All Blacks, all of a sudden I get on a roll and I start thinking of others too. [Malcolm] Marx is a problem too, particularly at the breakdown – he is so strong over the ball. Clearly, you’re not going to move him once he gets over it."
The match marks the second Highveld showdown of the series, following a Boks victory in Cape Town that leveled the four-match series after an initial All Blacks win at Ellis Park. Donald holds that the All Blacks need to disrupt the formidable South African set-piece and their dynamic play within the 22 to prevail before they meet again in Baltimore.
"If there are opportunities to get in and out of set-pieces like lineouts quickly, and to take the ball away from the big South African forwards, you do that," he advised, and highlighted the importance of maintaining an effective offloading game to keep the tempo high. "You see at the moment the All Blacks are hellbent on trying to keep the ball alive. And that helps keep the tempo by keeping the ball going forward, not giving the defence a chance to set."
He underscored the critical nature of high ball receptions and the relentless power of the Springbok's set-pieces in the opposition's 22, where they are notably destructive. "Where their points came from in test two, and where they're at their absolute destructive, powerful best, is where they get a set-piece in your 22. Then it's just a case of: they win their set-piece."
Donald further described the formidable Bok strategy of recurring powerful carries once they secure momentum. "If they don’t drive or they don’t get something out of that set-piece, then they’re going to have a big ball carrier come down a channel, like an Etzebeth or a [Jesse] Kriel, and then it’s just folding around the corner with these monster forwards."
As the teams prepare for this critical matchup, the question remains whether the All Blacks can effectively counter the Springboks' strategic and physical dominance. "When they get that burst of energy, because they get invigorated once they’re in the 22 because they know this is their time to shine, they get around quickly and then they just come. Then it’s just a matter of: can the All Blacks withstand it?" pondered Donald, setting the stage for a riveting encounter.
