In South Africa and New Zealand, rugby fever is palpable. Every conversation raises the upcoming clash as the teams ready for this weekends Rugby game between the All Blacks and South Africa. South African Fans are especially relieved that their team does not have to face the new kid on the opposition's block: Vaea Fifita.
Fifita is rugby's new dynamite
According to Mike Greenaway of IOL News, the young Tonga man is dynamite. Fortunately for South Africa, the 'Bokke' will not be facing him this weekend as he is out of this match owing to an injury. That said, he will be back, and the South Africans will need to come up with a plan on how to deal with the youngster who has already been dubbed the new Jonah Lomu.
For those of us who had the privilege of watching Jonah Lomu in action before he became ill, it is a reference chilling enough to give all rugby fans a pause. Jonah Lomu was formidable.
History proved that the Springboks managed to contain Jonah Lomu during the1995 Rugby World Cup. The South African coach at that time, Kitch Kristie, when quizzed about tactics for that containment, merely shrugged and announced to the press that Lomu was James Small's problem and he would deal with it. Luckily for South Africa, Small did as he was told.
Now the All Blacks have Fifita.
Fifita stands at 1.9m tall, weighs 115kg, and none of that weight is fat. This formidable young man too dangerous for any team to let him break through their defence, as reports insist, that once he is running at full steam, he is unstoppable.
Even without Fifita, the All Blacks rugby team remain formidable foes and the Springboks came into this 4 Nations Rugby series off the back of a dreadful 2016 season. According to EWN reporting earlier today, the Springbok coach, Allister Coetzee has revamped his coaching staff and the team has definitely shown some of their traditional skills and confidence, in the previous 6 matches of this competition.
Yet love them or hate them, every rugby fan in the world knows that the team to beat is New Zealand. Both teams have some injuries, and the coaches are busy recalculating combinations for the big day but likewise, both teams have enormous depths, so the injuries should not hamper the delivery of a tremendous game of rugby.
Break out the barbeques in New Zealand and Australia, the braais in South Africa and wherever you are, settle in for a great match between two great rugby nations.
