THERE is another battle apart from the Springboks' one with the Wallabies at the Patersons Stadium in Perth on Saturday that will be keenly observed from the side. The battle of the Macs.
Springbok defence coach John McFarland will go head-to-head with former colleague, now Wallaby attack coach, Jim McKay.
The two met when they coached at Leicester Tigers after Heyneke Meyer succeeded Marcelo Loffreda as head coach there in 2008.
McFarland did not say whether the pair's intimate knowledge of the other's methods might affect the match but he did let slip "we know him and his methods well".
The Wallabies are hard to predict because of the versatility of their backline players, who are often deployed in interchangeable roles.
"They use their backs for specific roles. It's not like they are confined to a set area," said McFarland. "They use the guys in different ways to suit their roles. Although they have a number on their back they aren't where you'd expect them to be. That is Ewen's [McKenzie's] philosophy."
Battle of Macs in Perth
THERE is another battle apart from the Springboks' one with the Wallabies at the Patersons Stadium in Perth on Saturday that will be keenly observed from the side. The battle of the Macs.
Springbok defence coach John McFarland will go head-to-head with former colleague, now Wallaby attack coach, Jim McKay.
The two met when they coached at Leicester Tigers after Heyneke Meyer succeeded Marcelo Loffreda as head coach there in 2008.
McFarland did not say whether the pair's intimate knowledge of the other's methods might affect the match but he did let slip "we know him and his methods well".
The Wallabies are hard to predict because of the versatility of their backline players, who are often deployed in interchangeable roles.
"They use their backs for specific roles. It's not like they are confined to a set area," said McFarland. "They use the guys in different ways to suit their roles. Although they have a number on their back they aren't where you'd expect them to be. That is Ewen's [McKenzie's] philosophy."
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