Despite glimpses of the poor performance that marked the Springboks’ defeat to Ireland in June‚ coach Allister Coetzee could breathe a huge sigh of relief after his side squeezed through for victory against Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday.
It was not the ideal start for Coetzee when the Boks went down 20-26 to the Irish in the first of three tests in the mid-year series in Cape Town in June.
But Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener against Los Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium was different after the Boks forged a late comeback in the second half to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment the side suffered in ex-coach Heyneke Meyer’s last test at home when they were beaten by Argentina in Durban last year.
“It was a bit of deja vu from the first test‚” Coetzee admitted after the game.
“Fortunately in this one we pulled through – the first one against Ireland we lost. We are obviously pleased with the result‚ but we are not pleased with the 20 minutes before and 20 minutes after half-time.
“I thought we started well but then let it slip again. There were opportunities that we did not take.”
With some rain in Nelspruit before the start of the game‚ the wet turf was always going to make things tricky for both sides and handling errors were always going to be unavoidable.
It was not the most clinical of wins for the Boks in a match that‚ for the most part‚ lacked spark.
The Boks were staring down the barrel of defeat until a game-changing Warren Whiteley try two minutes before the final whistle managed to claim a 30-23 win.
It was not so much a repeat of the handling errors that proved costly to the side in the first match of the Rugby Championship‚ but rather shocking decision-making that was their Achilles heel on Saturday.
“When you don’t take points that are on offer‚ suddenly errors start to creep into our game and we find it difficult to apply pressure again.
“The pressure might be there‚ but we don’t put scoreboard pressure on them. That makes it difficult and we have to work ourselves out of a hole‚” explained Coetzee.
“I would say for 45 minutes I was not happy‚ but I was very happy with the last 15 minutes. I think that is what we would like to see for longer periods.
“The decision when to run and when to kick is not there yet. If we get that right and have the territorial control‚ then it would be a different ball game. That is where we still struggle a bit‚ but I am sure that will come.
“A win is important in test rugby‚ it does not matter how it comes. It is important to improve while you are winning. It is difficult‚ especially in Rugby Championship‚ to improve when you are losing. So we understand it’s not good‚ it’s not clinical but it is a work in progress.”
The Boks travel to Argentina on Monday to prepare for their second match of the competition where they will take on Los Pumas in Salta.
The side knows all too well that it will not be an easy trip as they expect the same intensity against the semifinalists of last year’s World Cup.
“I think what we should not do is to underestimate an Argentina side. They are not (only) improving in world rugby‚ but they are (also) a force in world rugby‚” warned the Bok coach. — TMG Digital
Late Springbok charge saves coach Allister Coetzee's blushes in Nelspruit
Despite glimpses of the poor performance that marked the Springboks’ defeat to Ireland in June‚ coach Allister Coetzee could breathe a huge sigh of relief after his side squeezed through for victory against Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday.
It was not the ideal start for Coetzee when the Boks went down 20-26 to the Irish in the first of three tests in the mid-year series in Cape Town in June.
But Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener against Los Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium was different after the Boks forged a late comeback in the second half to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment the side suffered in ex-coach Heyneke Meyer’s last test at home when they were beaten by Argentina in Durban last year.
“It was a bit of deja vu from the first test‚” Coetzee admitted after the game.
“Fortunately in this one we pulled through – the first one against Ireland we lost. We are obviously pleased with the result‚ but we are not pleased with the 20 minutes before and 20 minutes after half-time.
“I thought we started well but then let it slip again. There were opportunities that we did not take.”
With some rain in Nelspruit before the start of the game‚ the wet turf was always going to make things tricky for both sides and handling errors were always going to be unavoidable.
It was not the most clinical of wins for the Boks in a match that‚ for the most part‚ lacked spark.
The Boks were staring down the barrel of defeat until a game-changing Warren Whiteley try two minutes before the final whistle managed to claim a 30-23 win.
It was not so much a repeat of the handling errors that proved costly to the side in the first match of the Rugby Championship‚ but rather shocking decision-making that was their Achilles heel on Saturday.
“When you don’t take points that are on offer‚ suddenly errors start to creep into our game and we find it difficult to apply pressure again.
“The pressure might be there‚ but we don’t put scoreboard pressure on them. That makes it difficult and we have to work ourselves out of a hole‚” explained Coetzee.
“I would say for 45 minutes I was not happy‚ but I was very happy with the last 15 minutes. I think that is what we would like to see for longer periods.
“The decision when to run and when to kick is not there yet. If we get that right and have the territorial control‚ then it would be a different ball game. That is where we still struggle a bit‚ but I am sure that will come.
“A win is important in test rugby‚ it does not matter how it comes. It is important to improve while you are winning. It is difficult‚ especially in Rugby Championship‚ to improve when you are losing. So we understand it’s not good‚ it’s not clinical but it is a work in progress.”
The Boks travel to Argentina on Monday to prepare for their second match of the competition where they will take on Los Pumas in Salta.
The side knows all too well that it will not be an easy trip as they expect the same intensity against the semifinalists of last year’s World Cup.
“I think what we should not do is to underestimate an Argentina side. They are not (only) improving in world rugby‚ but they are (also) a force in world rugby‚” warned the Bok coach. — TMG Digital
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