Jake White believes the Springboks must fix their defence and finish stronger if they are to beat the All Blacks in Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
The Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series is delicately poised at 1-1 after the All Blacks won 33-16 at Ellis Park before the Boks hit back with a 33-26 victory in Cape Town.
However, the world champions have conceded nine tries in the opening two Tests, while scoring four, and the former Bok coach says their defensive problems cannot only be blamed on the players.
WATCH: How All Blacks cheat at scrum
“I think they would admit that if you leak nine tries in two Test matches, it would not be something to be proud of,” the World Cup-winning coach said on the OmniRugby show on eNCA.
“Under Jacques Nienaber, we were considered the best defensive team in the world.
“It’s not through personnel. We’ve got the same players – Damian [de Allende] and Jesse [Kriel] at centre, Cheslin [Kolbe] on the wing, Ethan Hooker on the wing.
“The point is they’re good defenders. It wasn’t like we had holes because of different personnel or we didn’t have the same combinations.”
POLL: Who will win the Calabash clash?
White believes the Boks must also address their second-half slump.
“In both the first and second Test [the Boks] have been beaten, so they’ll need to find a way to finish stronger.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Jake demands tighter Bok defence appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Jake White believes the Springboks must fix their defence and finish stronger if they are to beat the All Blacks in Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
The post Jake demands tighter Bok defence appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
