Assistant coach Deon Davids says the Springboks are determined to turn blistering starts into complete 80-minute performances after twice allowing their opponents back into matches.
The Boks raced into commanding early leads against both England and Scotland before surrendering momentum, although Rassie Erasmus’ men still emerged with victories in both Nations Championship Tests.
At Ellis Park, the Boks were 17-0 up after 13 minutes before England rallied to get to within three points at half-time, while this past weekend at Loftus, Erasmus’ charges went 14-0 up before Scotland erased the deficit by the break.
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Ahead of Saturday’s clash with Wales in Durban, Davids said the coaching staff have thoroughly reviewed those lapses as they search for greater consistency.
“Definitely, we’ve looked at it. For us, when we play the game, it’s always to have control and balance in our execution. Obviously you develop a certain strategy, but on the day either your opponents outsmart you or your skill level lets you down at certain stages and things don’t work out your way.
“We’ve looked at every department. We’ve looked at our kicking game, our lineouts, our set-piece and our defence. And in each of those areas there are things we can do better and build on.”
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Davids admitted it was frustrating to lose control after making such explosive starts.
“Obviously it’s not ideal to start so well and then lose momentum a little during the half. But that’s also why we have such a good bench and such a good mix of players.”
The Springboks have used the Nations Championship to build squad depth, regularly introducing inexperienced players into high-pressure Test matches. Davids said those combinations inevitably require adjustment.
“You understand that the experience in the starting team helps build balance and control. Then, as you bring in less experienced guys who are playing under pressure for the first time, there are always adjustments that have to be made, whether it’s by the players or in adapting to the style of the game. I’m not saying that’s exactly what happened, but those are all variables you have to consider.
“So we keep trying to figure it out, and we work on it every week in training to make sure we handle those situations better next time.”
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Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
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Assistant coach Deon Davids says the Springboks are determined to turn blistering starts into complete 80-minute performances after twice allowing their opponents back into matches.
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