Ruan Nortjé knows exactly where Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium could be won or lost, and it isn’t just at the coalface. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.
The Springbok lock has identified New Zealand’s lineout as the fight within the fight, and he’s not shy about naming the man pushing him hardest.
“Some weeks they’ve got your number, some weeks you’ve got theirs, that’s the quality you’re up against,” Nortjé said at the team hotel in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
His answer to that unpredictability is simple, unglamorous work.
“It’s about making sure that when we’re in camp we work as hard as possible, put plans in place to put them under pressure, and I’m sure they’ll have their own plans for this weekend too.”
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Adaptability, he says, will decide who blinks first.
“It’s about handling it when they put us under pressure and adapting as quickly as possible, especially in that situation in the game.”
Then there’s Fabian Holland, the towering lock who has been one of the form players of the series. Nortjé doesn’t try to talk him down.
“Fabian Holland is a world-class player, he’s shown that the last two weeks,” he said. “A lot of respect to him, it’s always a privilege to play against him.”
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The stage for all this is FNB Stadium, and Nortjé is bracing for a crowd that dwarfs last week’s.
“I think it’ll be an amazing experience. Last week was 56,000 people, this week it might be 85,000 or 90,000. We can only imagine how awesome that will be.”
Even so, he insists the scale won’t change the approach for his 23rd Test match.
“No matter where we play, we know what we have to do and what we have to stick to. It’ll just be awesome to have that many people supporting you, feeding off them, getting energy from them, and enjoying every moment.”
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Away from the lineout, Nortjé also opened up on the unglamorous side of leadership, managing referees, a skill he’s sharpened as part-time Bulls captain.
“I’m only captain at the Bulls, so I can speak to that. You’ve got to understand where the referee is at in the game and how he’s communicating,” he said.
“Certain referees have different styles, different profiles, different ways of communicating and running the game, so it’s important to understand the person you’re working with, and what the best way and the best time is to talk to him, and when not to.”
His philosophy when decisions go against him is restraint rather than reaction.
“If you feel like you’re not getting the rub of the green from the ref, for me it’s about standing back a bit, making sure you work through your own actions in the game, play as close to the laws as possible, and then leave it to him to make his decision rather than putting too much pressure on him.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Nortjé braces for lineout battle appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Ruan Nortjé knows exactly where Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium could be won or lost, and it isn’t just at the coalface.
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