Ex-Wallaby: Australia ‘have no chance whatsoever’ of beating the Springboks

David Skippers
Greg Martin and Marco van Staden photo

Former Australia full-back Greg Martin (inset) and Marco van Staden launches an attack for the Springboks against the Wallabies.

Former Australia full-back Greg Martin doesn’t expect the Wallabies to offer much resistance against the Springboks in their Rugby Championship opener in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The eagerly anticipated showdown at Emirates Airline Park will be the first of two successive clashes between these sides with their rematch scheduled for the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on August 23.

South Africa are the Rugby Championship‘s defending champions and go into this year’s tournament in a rich vein of form after notching victories over the Barbarians, Italy (twice) and Georgia during their mid-year internationals in July.

By contrast, the Wallabies suffered a 2-1 series defeat in Australia against the British & Irish Lions, although they improved as that series progressed.

After cruising to victory in the first Test in Brisbane, the Lions clinched the series with a narrow triumph in the second Test in Melbourne before the Wallabies won the third Test in Sydney.

Can’t see Wallabies beating the Springboks

Although Martin admitted that the Wallabies are a side that’s improving, he does not expect them to offer much resistance against the world champions this weekend.

Appearing on the DSPN podcast shortly after the Wallabies team was announced, Martin was asked by the show’s host Martin Devlin what’s going to happen between the Boks and Wallabies this weekend, and replied: “Well, what’s been happening at any time in South Africa over the last few years?

“It’s impossible to beat the buggers because they’ve got three teams that on paper are stronger than us.

“The British Lions were stronger than us. We managed to beat them. We’ve got a team on the rise, as you would have seen in those last two Test matches (against the Lions).

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“We’ve now got size. I don’t think we’ve got the size of the South Africans have, especially the bench will be the biggest worry. But well everybody knows with 25 to go, anyone who’s played at Ellis Park would know it’s 25 to go.

“It feels like someone’s knifed your lungs. It’s just horrific. We’ll be struggling enough up at that point.

‘We’re in a fair bit of trouble’

“And then when they throw that, that whole pack on (Bomb Squad), we’re in a fair bit of trouble. Um, see, we got, well, you know, it’s just been named. James O’Connor will be at five-eight (fly-half).

“We have no chance whatsoever.”

Devlin reminded Martin of the impressive performance which the Wallabies delivered in that last Test against the Lions but the Queenslander, who represented his country in nine Tests between 1989 and 1990, was not convinced.

“Well, South Africa would have beaten the Lions by 40 points. They’re superior,” he said.

“Unless something very bizarre happens, I can’t see us going anywhere. I keep talking about, we haven’t got a five-eight.

“We’ve got a bloke whose been playing approximately 12 minutes per game for the Crusaders all Super Rugby season. We’re going to start with him against South Africa. Are we? We’ll see how that goes.

“(He’s) 35 years of age and I know he’s growing up and matured and everything else, but crikey, if we’re leaning on that to beat the Springboks, we’re in a bit of strife.”

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