CAPE TOWN – “It’s not about being boring, it’s about understanding what we want to achieve.”
Those were the words of Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids when asked what he made about the notion that the Boks’ gameplan doesn’t stretch much further than a physicality-filled forward game.
At the weekend, the Boks set up the third Test against the British & Irish Lions as the Series-decider as they pummelled the tourists 27-9 at Cape Town Stadium.
Things didn’t go too smoothly in the opening half but, after the break, the hosts took complete control.
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The Bomb Squad made a massive impact as the coaching staff’s substitutions worked a treat, the lineout functioned better, and they used their kicking game effectively and set up both their tries with nifty attacking kicks.
During a media briefing yesterday, the forwards coach said it’s ‘surprising’ that some still can’t see how their game has worked for them.
“I think the same narrative was there when we won the Rugby Championship and the World Cup…it’s surprising that we don’t see the effectiveness in terms of it getting us good results,” Davids said.
“It’s not about being boring, it’s about understanding what we want to achieve. I believe in our approach and what it leads us to.”
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He added that while this past weekend’s result was a pleasing one, they are under no illusions about what it will require to take the decider.
“We are of course happy with the win, but we know the task hasn’t been completed. We know we will have to be at our best this Saturday, we know that we will have to raise our standards this week.”
Meanwhile, wing Rosko Specman, loose forward Dan du Preez and hooker Johan Grobbelaar have all been called up to join the Boks in Cape Town.
The call-up for Grobbelaar marks his first to the national side, while Specman, who made his Test debut against Georgia, and Du Preez return after being included in the wider squad for the Lions series.
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"We have a tough Rugby Championship series ahead after Saturday's series decider against the British & Irish Lions and given the strict Covid-19 protocols we have to adhere to, we have decided to bring the players in sooner rather than later," Nienaber said as he expained the thinking behind the call-ups.
"This is Johan's first senior national call up and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do at this level after showing his class and consistency at the Bulls.
"Rosko played against Georgia and we know what he has to offer having worked with him for several weeks before he was released from camp.
"Dan was one of the unlucky players who didn’t get game time due to Covid-19 in our first few matches, so we are looking forward to having him back and giving him a chance to show us what he can do again.”
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