After a string of bad results, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber insists he is not under pressure despite coming under fire from the local rugby fraternity.
After two back-to-back defeats to New Zealand and Australia in the Rugby Championship, the Boks return to action on Saturday when they take on the Wallabies in Sydney. Kickoff in the Allianz Stadium is 11.35am.
Responding to the media if he feels the pressure after some questioned his win ratio and depth as a coach, Nienaber, in a calm demeanour, said he does not pay attention to the outside pressure.
"If you lose two games, there's always going to be external pressure on you. The key thing for me as a coach is to focus on the pressure we can control, and that's internal pressure," said Nienaber.
"No coach can control the outside pressure and it comes with the territory, we live and die by that pressure. If you focus on that pressure you focus on the wrong thing, we only focus on the internal pressure; the things we want to achieve and get right.
"The pressure is to try and get solutions for the next game, it's not the pressure from outside," he said.
Going into the match, Nienaber has made eight changes, much of them being forced by injuries and squad rotation.
Players such as Handre Pollard, Lukhanyo Am and Pieter-Steph du Toit are all ruled out due to knee injuries. The severity of their injuries is yet to be determined.
Despite that, Nienaber will be fielding a formidable team to take on Australia.
Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, and Frans Malherbe will be in the front row. Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager keep their places in the second row. Captain Siya Kolis forms a loose trio with Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese.
There's a new halfback pairing in Jaden Hendrikse and Damian Willemse. Damian de Allende is joined by Jesse Kriel in the midfield in the absence of Am. Youngster Canan Moodie will make his debut on the wing, the other winger is Makazole Mapimpi, and veteran Willie le Roux starts at fullback.
Under-fire Boks coach keeps under pressure
Boks coach feels it's normal for back-to-back defeats to spark talk
Image: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
After a string of bad results, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber insists he is not under pressure despite coming under fire from the local rugby fraternity.
After two back-to-back defeats to New Zealand and Australia in the Rugby Championship, the Boks return to action on Saturday when they take on the Wallabies in Sydney. Kickoff in the Allianz Stadium is 11.35am.
Responding to the media if he feels the pressure after some questioned his win ratio and depth as a coach, Nienaber, in a calm demeanour, said he does not pay attention to the outside pressure.
"If you lose two games, there's always going to be external pressure on you. The key thing for me as a coach is to focus on the pressure we can control, and that's internal pressure," said Nienaber.
"No coach can control the outside pressure and it comes with the territory, we live and die by that pressure. If you focus on that pressure you focus on the wrong thing, we only focus on the internal pressure; the things we want to achieve and get right.
"The pressure is to try and get solutions for the next game, it's not the pressure from outside," he said.
Going into the match, Nienaber has made eight changes, much of them being forced by injuries and squad rotation.
Players such as Handre Pollard, Lukhanyo Am and Pieter-Steph du Toit are all ruled out due to knee injuries. The severity of their injuries is yet to be determined.
Despite that, Nienaber will be fielding a formidable team to take on Australia.
Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, and Frans Malherbe will be in the front row. Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager keep their places in the second row. Captain Siya Kolis forms a loose trio with Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese.
There's a new halfback pairing in Jaden Hendrikse and Damian Willemse. Damian de Allende is joined by Jesse Kriel in the midfield in the absence of Am. Youngster Canan Moodie will make his debut on the wing, the other winger is Makazole Mapimpi, and veteran Willie le Roux starts at fullback.
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