RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
Sam Whitelock aims to undo Springbok lineouts again
All Black lock Sam Whitelock does not remember watching the Springbok huddle before a crucial lineout late in the 2015 World Cup semifinal‚ but he does remember stealing the ball. Whitelock nicked possession from Victor Matfield’s grasp at Twickenham, with less than eight minutes to play and with two points in the game. It turned out to be the only lineout steal of a contest that was on a tightrope all the way through. New Zealand won 20-18. It was also the last time the Boks were competitive against the All Blacks. In the three contests since, they have lost by an aggregate score of 52-9‚ which included a record 57-0 defeat in Albany three weeks ago. Part of the Boks’ downfall in the last match was due to their set-piece crumbling. But it did not fall apart without reason; it collapsed under severe All Black pressure. Whitelock was the destroyer-in-chief as the Boks lost five lineouts in Albany — and it is a job he aims to repeat at Newlands on Saturday. He missed last week’s 36-10...
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