Discipline key in Dunedin
New Zealand coach Graham Henry and South Africa counterpart Peter de Villiers have finally found something to agree on after both recognised the need for discipline in Saturday's Tri-Nations match in Dunedin.
New Zealand coach Graham Henry and South Africa counterpart Peter de Villiers have finally found something to agree on after both recognised the need for discipline in Saturday's Tri-Nations match in Dunedin.
The build-up to the Test has been a fractious one between the two camps with the Springboks accusing the All Blacks of illegal scrummaging and being treated leniently by officials and the judiciary.
The New Zealanders have strenuously denied their tactics at the scrum are illegal, while Henry accused the South Africans of targeting fly-half Dan Carter, who was hit late by Butch James several times during last weekend's Tri-Nations opener in Wellington.
But on the eve of the return clash at Carisbrook, De Villiers and Henry have stressed they will be urging their players to keep cool heads.
“Discipline is a very important part of international rugby,” said Henry.
“If you lose your discipline then you won't play as well as you should and there will be consequences.
“So I think teams playing with discipline is critical and it's something that we stress.
“Also we are role models for other young athletes as well so it's very important that we play the game within the law and we play with discipline.”
De Villiers also emphasised the importance of leading by example.
“Discipline is an integral part of the game and if you don't have the discipline you might as well not be there,” he said.
“That's the one thing that we always emphasise and we will never let go of that.”
The war of words has prompted the International Rugby Board to organise a meeting between both camps and referee Matt Goddard on Friday afternoon.
But rather than being a forum for pointing out the perceived deficiencies in the opposition camp, the coaches stressed they would be looking to get clarity from Goddard – who will take charge of his first Tri-Nations Test – on how he will control particular areas of the game, such as scrums and the breakdown.
Both those areas will again be hotly contested in what Henry is expecting to be another hugely physical battle, particularly as the Springboks will be smarting from last weekend's 19-8 loss.
“They've come over to win obviously and I think they thought they might do that in the first test in Wellington,” Henry said.
“So they will be absolutely desperate and I think that will come out in the way they play the game. It will be a huge challenge.
“The guys are going to have to front. We are well down on experience but there will be huge enthusiasm there and togetherness. They are just going to have to work together.”