Scott Robertson breaks down ‘critical’ area against Springboks while Ardie Savea reflects on ‘caretaker’ role
Scott Robertson breaks down 'critical' Springboks area while Ardie Savea reflects on 'caretaker' role
Scott Robertson has named his All Blacks team to face the Springboks on Saturday, as the two mammoth rugby nations come together in what is expected to be an explosive spectacle.
Head coach Robertson and captain Ardie Savea spoke to the press following the announcement, with both men clearly understanding what this match means to their countrymen.
Going up against the current world champions, who they’ve not beaten in any of their last four efforts, Robertson and his men know how tough a challenge facing the Springboks will be.
Scott Robertson aims to end Springboks’ domination
Asked how the All Blacks would break their unwanted record of losses to their visitors, the head coach highlighted the back three coverage as being “really critical”.
“The aerial game it’s critical for us to win this year,” he said. “The boys are looking forward to that, and probably the collisions around the back-row, the ability to keep winning them and be technically sound, the skill set of those big bodies that are coming towards us, how we get them to the ground.”
These comments build upon much of the talk during the week surrounding the aerial game, with former All Black James Parsons noting the Springboks’ strength in the air and the need for the All Blacks to hold their own in that area.
Ardie Savea to hit 100
Robertson is looking for his leaders to step up in Auckland this weekend, and very few will have more of an impact than Savea. He had some warm words for his captain, who is set to reach a remarkable 100 games for the All Blacks this weekend.
“He’s a man of few words,” Robertson stated. “He served his jersey over a long period of time, with a lot of heart and a lot of skill. So his humility that you see around the team, off the field and stuff, is who he is.”
Continuing his praise of the esteemed leader, he added: “He’s a good family man. There’s a playground around the front here; he was out there for a couple of hours with his kids running around earlier. So he’s a great father as well, and we’re looking forward to representing them on Saturday night.”
Speaking about his motivation for playing in the black jersey, Savea decided to play down his individual impact, and instead focus on his job of simply serving the shirt.
“We’re just caretakers, and you never know when your time is up in the jersey,” he admitted. “Every time you get named, and you hear your name each week, you get butterflies and you think, ‘I don’t want to let the jersey down’.”
The talismanic captain first appeared for the mighty All Blacks in 2016, beating Wales 39–21 at Eden Park. Since then, his career has gone from strength to strength, playing a key role in the series draw against the British and Irish Lions in 2017, before leading the side for the first time in 2021 against Australia in the Rugby Championship.
Named the World Rugby Player of the Year in 2023, Savea has continued his dominance in the black jersey and is now set to win his century of caps. When asked if he’s had time to reflect on the fact that he’s about to hit 100, Savea said: “We’re busy in the week, so we just try and go about our week in preparation, but there are times when I’m sitting in my room, I’m with my wife, and we reflect and just be grateful.”
Although it will be a huge moment for the 31-year-old when he enters the Eden Park field on Saturday, he’s aware that the event is about much more than just him.
“Huge respect to the Springboks, and we hugely respect Eden Park and our home,” Savea noted as the All Blacks look to continue their 50-match win streak in Auckland.
“To be able to go out there firstly and be named to play against the Springboks in this Test match is a great challenge, and something that you know is going to be hard and tough, but something for all of us to work towards.”
Brothers in different colours
There’s a lot of respect between the two sides, not least between Savea and the World Cup-winning Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi.
“First and foremost, we’re just human beings,” said Savea when asked about their relationship. “We’re men, we’re husbands and fathers. Siya’s the same as me. We’re just brothers off the field.
“But again, we represent two different countries that want to get the result, so that’s the special friendship. I think it’s like that with a lot of international teams and players. We go out there and try and beat each other up and try and do what’s best for our team, and then we just share a conversation just like normal human beings, and we put that aside and just connect.”
