Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids has shut down any suggestion that Saturday’s Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires is little more than a stepping stone toward the All Blacks series. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.
A 26-man Bok squad arrived in Argentina on Sunday for the one-off clash against Los Pumas, with another group of players – and Springbok attack guru Tony Brown and Mobi-Unit coach Duane Vermeulen – remaining in Johannesburg to prepare for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
“I don’t think we approach this as a warm-up,” Davids said on Monday. “We approach every Test match as a game that is important in terms of what we want to achieve, what we stand for as a team. We’re proud of our records and the opportunity we get to set our standards from game to game.”
He was equally direct when pressed on whether the fixture amounts to a curtain-raiser for the four-Test showdown against the All Blacks.
“Our focus is on Argentina, our focus is on this Test match,” Davids said. “Our focus is to win another Test match for South Africa, to improve our game and build our game for the rest of the season. We are not focusing on any other games right now. It’s all about Argentina.”
MORE: Boks prep for Los Pumas duel without coaches
Davids was clear-eyed about the challenge awaiting the Springboks on the road.
“Argentina, especially in Buenos Aires, it’s always been a story of being able to grind it out right until the end. It’s never easy. If you come here with the mentality of seeing it as a warm-up, that’s a big mistake.”
The return of several senior players from injury has been a welcome boost heading into the match.
“It’s fantastic to have those guys back,” Davids said, naming the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “We had a very good buildup in our camp week, and that was a fantastic opportunity for them, which is important as we build toward the rest of the season.”
ALSO: Boks poised to unleash Giant at 8
Managing their minutes remains a priority.
“We do have specific plans in terms of how we want to manage them,” he said. “We operate as a collective, all 23 in the squad, and we believe they are ready. They’ve worked very hard the last couple of weeks to get themselves back onto the field.”
For Davids, the message is simple: Argentina will be passionate, gutsy and desperate to prove a point, and South Africa intend to meet that challenge head-on rather than ease into it.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Davids dismisses Bok ‘warm-up’ talk appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids has shut down any suggestion that Saturday’s Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires is little more than a stepping stone toward the All Blacks series.
The post Davids dismisses Bok ‘warm-up’ talk appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
