By Mike Greenaway in Sydney
Bob Skinstad could have been Winston Churchill delivering a 1940 Battle of Britain speech when, in so many words, he offered this battle plan to beat the Australian forces: "It will be no-frills, not a lot of thrills and will require buckets and buckets of sweat and blood."
For sure it is going to be a battle the Boks plan on fighting in the muddy trenches, hand-to-hand combat to the death, avoiding as far as possible fleeting skirmishes on the outer boundaries of the battle fields where the enemy's skilled storm troopers have an advantage over their inexperienced and less well-drilled opposition.
And when Skinstad's bruisers up front have established a stranglehold, ground will be won through the artillery of little general Derick Hougaard.
"Ja, that's pretty much how it is going to work," grins Johan Ackermann, the toughest, biggest and hardest working Springbok forward of them all, the panzer the rest of the forwards will work around.
"More than ever this game is about softening up their forwards, and we are in no mood for taking prisoners," says Ackermann grimly. "Our backs have not had that much time to gel, but us forwards are fine. We know understand and respect each other. There is not a guy in this pack that is not known in his respective provincial team for his williingnesss to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. This is a pack of grafters. There are no posers here.
"Wannenburg and (Wikus van Heerden)? They get stuck in for the Bulls every week. Myself and Johann Muller? Nobody has ever accused us of standing back.
"Gary Botha. That guy has waited so long for his chance - just watch him go.
Jannie du Plessis and CJ Van der Linde (the props)?
"My friend, the Free State pack won two Currie Cups against the odds with those two at the front of their pack."
Big Ackermann, makes an impressive point, and then he adds.
"We have noted that the Wallaby pack has upped its physical intensity during this Tri-Nations. They have done well. But it just means that we are going to have to take another step up ourselves. This particular game cannot be about the forwards matching each other. We have to get on top. We must get on top."
Skinstad, the captain who is going to be exhorting these battle-hungry troops to heights of physical endeavour not seen for some tine in Test rugby, has to somehow keep a lid on proceedings, but only just.
"There is fine line we will be treading, no doubt, but we have the experience in the pack to stay on the right side of the referee (Paul Honiss). Also, in training the huge stress has been on the individuals.
"Individuals have to bust a gut but within a team context. That is how underdogs win games they shouldn't. Take loose forwards for example. Wikus van Heerden has to scrap for the ball with brilliant Aussie flanks, but before he gets to do that he will have had to the team bit in the scrum and by giving everything there, he might find he gets to the loose ball first and so have a better chance of doing his individual work well."
It is the simplest of game plans. Starve "the best backline in world rugby of front-ball" as Skinstad describes the Wallaby back division and create a platform for Derick Hougaard.
"If we win, it will probably be the sweetest victory of my career," says Skinstad.
wish it was saturday morning already!
