Steven Kitshoff: Former Springbok previews weekend All Blacks clash

The All Blacks are set to face off against the Springboks at Eden Park this coming weekend, and the South African side have outlined their squad.

Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff was a part of the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup winning sides and had his fair share of matchups with the All Blacks playing them 15 times, the most of any nation during his international career. 

He joined D'Arcy to give his take ahead of the big game.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duncy Wildergrave
from News Talk z'b.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Stephen katz Off format Springbok prop. He's won two World Cups,
won against England twenty nineteen, one against the All Blacks
in twenty twenty three. Had a pretty rotten neck injury there,
so we had to retire early this year, he joins us.
Now his thoughts, Good evening, Stephen.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Good evening's going well morning, my third morning, my thide
but all good.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, Well it's we're still on the same planet. Light
or dark doesn't make any difference, right this weekend? Tell
me about the energy and the republic around this game,
cause I suspect that there's probably more pressure on the
spring Box considering this represents a clear opportunity to uphend
the All Blacks. Spring Box play great rugby. All Blacks

(00:57):
are a bit wobbly positive much over there?

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah, I think it's it took a bit of a
knock off the opening two games against Australia, and I think
the spring Box will were as accurate as they wanted
to be. But I mean, this entire rugby season has
been talking points, has been this test match coming up
this weekend. I think the entire South Africa we're a
nice edge on team selection. What's going to happen? I

(01:24):
was opening a couple of rounds are going to go
for the stream box. So yeah, I think there's a
lot of excitement, but a lot of nerves now going
into Saturday's match.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Where are the strengths within the spring box side? What
do you guys relying? We know the way you play
your DNA. Is that changed much? Do you expect this
similar game of brute force and a bomb squad?

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah? I think as you're watching the first couple of games,
I think the Springboks brought in a bit more of
an attacking flair. I think with Tony Brown at the
arms of the attacking structures, I think the Springboks are
definitely trying to be a bit more expensive, trying to
play a bit more on the front foot, try and
create a bit more. But New Zealand's always a tough

(02:07):
match and I think if you if you fall into
that trap of overplaying, you'll really get punish. So we
might see a Springbok team that goes back to the
old school way of relying heavily on the forwards on
the on the set piece and just trying to plan
in the right area. So it depends on our strong
Tony's voice is going to be this week. But I
think if it comes down to Russi's formula, it will

(02:30):
be a kicking game, defensive and a almost death by
a thousand cuts type of a style of playing.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Class with the packs. That'd be fascinating because if there's
been a strength in this All Black side so far
under Robertson, it has been the pack and has been
the s piece. So do they negate each other?

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Steven, Yeah, I think so. I mean the the All
Blacks has always had a great pack and when it
comes to scrummaging, the scrummaging powers, especially in the last
couple of seasons, it's definitely been on the app So yeah,
I think the packs might look at each other. I
think back line dynamics, I mean spring Walks have those
wings with scrump caps on and they're quite lightning around

(03:10):
the park. But it's going to be quite an interesting one.
If the Springbok doesn't get the upper hand at scrump
time or more time, it might be become a battle
of the backs, which is going to be quite interesting
to see what we.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Saw when the New Zealanders took on Argentina. They were
diabolical under the high ball. That'll be an absolute target.
They wouldn't do it too teats in a row. Would
they play that poorly under the high.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
Pill surely not. I think it's probably something they'll have
a look at, probably try to figure and come off
with some solutions, other if it's some sort of jockey
back trying to protect the ball carrier. But it's always
been one of the Springbok strings. So if you think
about the way they played against Australia Test two, there

(03:59):
was a lot more aerial battles where the guys kick
kicked it up and under those cross kicks and trying
to create collisions in the air. It's something that Spring
Box always backed themselves on. It's something always highly spoken about.
But yeah, I think if there's an opportunity to do it,

(04:20):
I think with guys like and Red Pollard, he'll definitely
pull the trigger. I think with the lead back in
the team as well, he'll definitely pull the trigger on
those things. So that it'll be interesting.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
What about discipline. Discipline has been a huge issue for
this New Zealand side, whether they're unfairly targeted or not.
You cimaply can't win test matches when you're only playing
with fourteen or maybe even thirteen men. Is that a
real problem do you think? David?

Speaker 3 (04:48):
Definitely, probably not as much All Blacks as African disciplinement
it comes to penalty count has also been through the roof,
but I mean test match rugby. I mean we've had stats,
and I mean Felix always brings up yellow cards and
red cards and just to see a point stuff in
big test matches, and I mean yellow cords sometimes means

(05:11):
six points swing either way. So yeah, I think discipline,
unforced errors like non rollaways, eye tackles, those type of
things will be crucial to to keep control of those
things and keep the penalty count down because I know
with either the All Blacks and the spring Box, if
there's middle earth or middle midfield penalties, they will just

(05:33):
be driven into the corners and all of a sudden
other team can attack in the in the twenty two.
But it's also just the scoreboard pressure. I mean, I
don't think the stream box if they if they have
opportunity to get three points, they would shy away from it,
So yeah, that's it is a big It's a big
part of the game, and I think big Test match rugby,

(05:56):
sometimes the difference is three points and it might have
been a non rollerway penalty or someone just just losing
their concentration for two minutes and considered ay and a
kickable area and that can cost you, can cost you
a big Test match. I think both teams definitely will
be very up forward. I think they will try and

(06:17):
be as keen as possible, but I also think there's
going to be some tension in the air with the
spring Box having a bit of a upper hand over
the last four Test matches. I think New Zealand will
come out a little bit angry, hungry for good when
especially against the stream Box, and I think the spring
Box would want that opportunity to to dethron at Eden

(06:38):
Park and create some history. So that that alone, for me,
creates a lot of a lot of tension in the game,
and you might see a lot of big hits, big
moments and which which creates a lot of excitement.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
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