Width against girth could be theme of quarter final 1 between New Zealand and South Africa in Melbourne on Saturday night.
The All Blacks are determined to play with the width that has produced 42 tries in the Tournament to date and South Africa have picked a monster pack with the promise to “attack them in the first phases”.
The All Blacks have copped it from all quarters in the aftermath of the 53-37 win over Wales in the final Pool D game in Sydney on Sunday.
The All Blacks conceded four tries to the usually dour Welsh, causing former captain David Kirk to urge caution against the Springboks and French assistant coach David Ellis to claim the New Zealand defensive system is “fatally flawed”.
The All Blacks have won six consecutive games against South Africa.
Captain Kirk unhappy
Former RWC winning captain David Kirk is urging John Mitchell and his men to tighten up for the quarter final at Telstra Dome in Melbourne on Saturday night.
Unhappy with what he saw against Wales, Kirk has called on the All Blacks to play tight, precise rugby.
"They can't play airy fairy, helter-skelter, throw it around the backs and hope the opposition get less than 30,” Kirk said. “That won't work from now on.”
But centre Leon MacDonald recommitted the All Blacks to playing with width and pace, even if it means opening the door for the opposition.
"The game's changed a little bit since he (Kirk) played, it is a lot faster " MacDonald said. "We feel it suits the style of players that we are and the type of team that the coaches are picking.
"We want to win games by scoring tries and not relying on other teams giving away penalties. Playing against disciplined teams, they can go a whole half without giving a penalty away. We're trying to make the result ours by controlling what we do.
"If you're going to play an open game and move the ball around, it's always going to expose you a bit.
When I played at centre a few years ago it was quite a different role, now you're a lot more of a playmaker I suppose.
In the middle of the defence
You're right in the middle of the defence as well so it's a very busy position.”
Yorkshireman Ellis said New Zealand failed to cope well with Wales because the inside backs stand wide in the defence leaving the tight five vulnerable to fast, mobile players like Welsh winger Winger Shane Williams who sidestepped past tight forwards en route to creating Sonny Parker's 34th-minute try.
“I am surprised that, unlike many international sides, the All Blacks do not have a specialist defence coach,” he said. All Blacks coach John Mitchell came to see us at Gloucester last autumn, spent about a week looking at what we do. I asked about the system and he said they just work it out themselves."
The flashy backs have hogged the headlines at this World Cup, but the forwards know the set pieces hold the key to success against South Africa.
New front row
South Africa has changed its whole front row since losing twice to the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations.
Out are the more mobile Richard Bands, Danie Coetzee, and Lawrence Sephaka and in at a combined weight of 357kg are Faan Rautenbach and Christo Bezuidenhout with former prop John Smit at hooker.
By comparison Smit weights 116kg and his opposite Keven Mealamu weighed less than 100kg before this season, adding six kilos in the off season to come in at 102kg. Although the match program for the Wales game listed him at 96kg.
Mealamu says the All Blacks know they have to scrummage smarter against the bigger Boks. To that end scrummaging svengali Richard Loe is in Melbourne to impart his experience and technical advice.
Big challenge for scrum
Mealamu and tighthead prop Greg Somerville both admit the All Blacks' forwards need to improve on their efforts against Wales.
"It's definitely an area we need to pick up on," Mealamu said. “Rotating the front row made it a bit difficult to get continuity."
"We've had all this week and last week to get it right, we're hoping to get things right this week.
"It will be the biggest scrummaging challenge of the World Cup at the moment. It's going to be good, we just need to be prepared for them."