54m ago

'Far from perfect' Springboks fixing their own issues before pinpointing All Blacks' chinks

accreditation
Share
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
  • Another reason why the Springboks aren't preoccupied by the All Blacks' problems is because they themselves were "far from perfect" against Wales.
  • The South Africans might've walked away with a series win, but there were various gaps in their overall play that have required addressing.
  • National coach Jacques Nienaber expects the All Blacks to pose a different challenge though some aspects of the Welsh play have primed the Boks.

Except for the fact that they'll always respect their great foes, the Springboks also aren't preoccupying themselves with the All Blacks' vulnerable state because they themselves aren't on the most stable of ground currently.

South Africa go into next week's Rugby Championship opener at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on the back of a 2-1 series win over Wales that, in particular, exposed their inability to turn periods of dominance into points and a penchant for sloppiness - a major reason for the Dragons leading 18-3 at half-time at Loftus.

Unsurprisingly, to quote the Scripture, the Boks have first cast the beam out of their collective eye before pointing out the mote stuck in the New Zealanders'.

"We weren't perfect against the Welsh by any stretch of the imagination," said national coach Jacques Nienaber.

"We tried to build during the series. The important thing for us is to control our shortcomings and focus on fixing our game. There's a lot we need to work on and we had a nice review of where we are currently at. 

"In some instances we showed some growth and others not. Our goal is to improve, to get better. Having not played for a while before we played against Wales, we got a bit of a marker where we are."

Finding more rhythm and the accompanying cutting edge will be important as the All Blacks, who still showed how ruthless they can be in punishing mistakes during the first Test against Ireland, are likely to conjure a smoother, more high tempo game.

"It will probably be a little bit different to the challenge that Wales brought," said Nienaber.

"If you look at the athletes that they have and if you look at the skillset that they have available to them, it's probably going to be a game built around a lot of continuity and maybe moving the ball around a bit.

"They don't shy away from set-piece battles, which they showed against Ireland. So, it is going to be a blend of set-piece battles and also probably a bit more continuity than what we saw in the Welsh series.

"In saying that, Wales really tested us, especially if you think of the try they scored in Cape Town against us from the restart.

"I thought they kept the ball alive and kept good continuity going, so I think it is probably going to be a challenge like that."


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won't be billed. 
Subscribe to News24