Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones has delivered a fitness update on Siya Kolisi and Ox Nché, writes CLINTON VAN DER BERG.
Jones confirmed both are on course to be available for selection for the first Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, with the pair needing to get through one final training session before the team is announced on Thursday.
“Both are tracking pretty good,” he said. “There’s been no flags or issues from what we’ve seen today in training. We’d still have another session around the week, but there’s been nothing majorly negative coming out of either of their recovery plans.”
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On preparation, Jones revealed the coaching staff have leaned heavily on insight from South Africa’s URC clubs, sharpening the Boks’ picture of what to expect at Ellis Park.
“Luckily, we’ve got a good relationship with the [sides] and all of us as coaches chat pretty regularly,” he said. “It’s been good to get their thoughts on their games, but a lot of it has been a confirmation of what we saw in the Nations Championship.
“A couple of things probably trended across the feedback across the different franchises.
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“A few things around the breakdown they experienced, like tucked shoulders going into the breakdown, like reverse arm non-wrapping action, which I know they weren’t really happy with. That was a consistent theme that came out.
“The teams created a lot of opportunity in terms of getting themselves into scoring positions, maybe 10m out. Most of the teams got multiple lineout opportunities there. I think they found they were frustrated that they couldn’t score with their maul. It’s tough when there’s someone pulling you or trying to lift a leg or maybe just going off their feet for a couple of seconds. Those were two common themes they weren’t happy with.”
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Jones also pointed to the depth of South African rugby as the real driver behind the Boks’ sustained dominance, crediting the coaches for developing the next generation of players.
“A huge amount of credit has to go to [Junior Boks coach] Kevin Foote and [SA Rugby general manager of high performance] Dave Wessels and all the junior coaches that are producing so many good young guys,” he said, adding that the culture within camp keeps everyone hungry rather than complacent.
“The guys all really care. They want to play, and they’re already buying in.”
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On the innovation front, the Irishman confirmed the squad has been trialling a new virtual training tool designed to sharpen players’ reaction skills around contestable kicks.
“It’s like a simulation of trying to actually gather loose balls from contestable kicks,” he explained. “We very kindly took on one or two guys in South Africa that are developing it, and have given us a lend of their unit. We think there’s something in it, and we’ll keep enjoying it.”
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Finally, addressing scrum concerns raised during the Nations Championship, Jones confirmed the Boks are focused on tightening up their own discipline at the put-in this week.
“As far as I’m aware, there’s been a push this week for a credible feed,” he said. “That’s what we’ve heard.”
Photo: @Springboks/X
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Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones has delivered a fitness update on Siya Kolisi and Ox Nché.
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