Heyneke Meyer has seized on a topic – youth – its vigour, its energy and he's shaking the life out of it.
The South African coach has frontloaded his second row and centre positions with players, none of whom are over 24-years-old.
Ireland’s Paul O’Connell is 35-years-old, Devin Toner 29-years-old and Mike McCarthy, who is replacing the injured O’Connell, is 33.
Beside Meyer sits the Springbok and Bath flanker, Francois Louw who pulls a mild, knowing grin. His coach is on a roll selling the kids to the room. Players who may not bring experience but have open minds and take an elastic view of limitations.
Centre Jesse Kriel is 21-years-old and Damain de Allende 23. Lock Eben Etzebeth is 24 and Lood de Jager 23. The Springbok outhalf, Handre Pollard is 21 – all are Meyer’s youngsters.
He knows that in a World Cup quarter-final against a side like Wales who will put out 30-year-old Alun-Wyn Jones and 32-year-old Luke Charteris in their second row as well as 28-year-old Jamie Roberts in the centre and, after a freakish run of injuries, 20-year-old Tyler Morgan, South Africa have an experience deficit.
“I never thought we would start with the two youngsters,” says Meyer of his secondrow combination.
“But youngsters all over the world have shown what they lose in experience they make up with fire and heart.
“Sometimes the big occasion doesn’t count. I always say to the youngsters, guys like Boris Becker were great at 17. Tyson was a machine at 21.
“Look at the best generals in the world. Alexander (The Great)...So it’s a mindset. Some guys like Pollard and especially Jesse (Kriel) are very, very strong individuals. They know exactly what they want out of life.”
Character was a theme of yesterday’s day out in Bagshot with the South Africans freely wallowing in the England team’s Surrey splendour, which until they moved in was a secretive, guarded installation.
Meyer puts value in things like personality, disposition and mettle. He measures the players on how they can handle themselves under the pressure he knows Wales will bring. He’s hard to stop.
“Pollard can be a Springbok captain,” he says. “He’s taken a lot of control of the 10 channel so even if they are not the most experienced I truly believe in these guys.
The best
“They have played against the best in the world in the
Rugby Championship
and they came through that. Now it’s just about backing it up. What they lack in experience they will definitely make up in heart.
“It’s only when you put in limiting ideas and thinking of what can go wrong they start to worry. I really back those youngsters.”
His point is well made, if probably not universally accepted, although, all five players been in singing form. Victor Matfield at 37-years-old would have been in the team had his hamstring problem cleared up.
Doubtlessly the Springbok coach would then have been promoting the value of big game experience and the lineout. Needs must.
Meyer points to Schalk Burger, Louw and Duane Vermeulen in the backrow as seasoned enforcers and knowing, able enough to keep the youngsters on message.
Part of his thinking in naming almost the same side that beat the USA is continuity. It is something they have lacked coming in but in Meyer’s mind another aspect of their game they have rediscovered.
His cavalry on the bench have also quality, Ulster scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar and Richardt Strauss's cousin Adriaan Strauss among them.
“Look at our bench now. Most of the guys have 30-35 caps,” says Mayer. “Great guys on the bench there, guys with some experience and some stability. We have three great tightheads at the moment.
Impact player
“I hope we can keep building on that. I don’t think the game is going to open up so we don’t need an impact player, we need a guy who can scrum.”
He knows the pay load of Warren Gatland’s team. It’s something similar to what the Springboks bring. Charging runners on the gain line. Faction fighting at the breakdown.
He speaks of an arm-wrestle, a battle of collisions and discipline, something that hasn’t been strong in the Springbok camp. South Africa had the worst disciplinary record of any team in the pool phase.
“Rugby in this tournament is all about winning the forward battle,” he says. “Wales they don’t concede tries, only two in first four games. They play a very, very disciplined type of rugby. No weak areas there. Very direct and use phases. They are a team that want to get it over the advantage line.
“Very dangerous. Use their backs as big runners, in a sense the same as us. We’re going to have to have discipline.”
Twickenham will be a world of pain and bruises. Youngsters, they don’t mind that at all.
