Bulls coach Johan Ackermann believes that Johan Grobbelaar and Elray Lou will bring valuable information to the Springboks squad when they return this week.
The two players arrived in South Africa only last week, after playing against Argentina in Buenos Aires over the previous weekend. They were late additions to the Bulls' 23-man squad, which lost 50-19 to the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld stadium on Saturday evening.
The players were granted special permission by Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus to get game time before the first match of the 'Great Rivalry' in Ellis Park this Saturday.
Ackermann believes that Grobbelaar and Lou are in a good position to return to the Boks squad after coming off the bench in Pretoria. He noted: 'Obviously, I think it's great for them to try the All Blacks and feel it on the field. Now they can take that knowledge back to the Boks.'
He added that while giving them the opportunity to play is beneficial for the team, there is also an obligation to SA Rugby to provide them with additional playing time if possible. Ackermann highly praised the contribution of both players in the second half: 'I acknowledge the contributions of Grobbie and Elray. Both contributed in the second half.'
The coach emphasized that Grobbelaar demonstrated high work rate and covered a large distance. Despite having only one training session, they made an effort to absorb all the necessary material. Ackermann noted that the team started the game with a very basic plan, the goal of which was to test whether they could stick to that plan despite mistakes. He concluded that they played better in the second half than in the first, when they were fresh, and thanked them for it.
A former Springboks second-row player, who faced the All Blacks in 1996 when the visitors won their only series title in South Africa, is convinced that Erasmus's charges possess the experience and quality to change the outcome of the current match. Ackermann stated that the Springboks are fully prepared for the game and have high-caliber players who work together for a long time and develop plans with the best minds in the world.
He suggested that the All Blacks might have taken risks towards the end of the game, trying to do something deep in their own half, which, in his opinion, will not succeed against the Springboks. Ackermann concluded that the Springboks will be well-prepared, and time will tell.
