Springbok assistant coach Deion Davids.
- The 43-12 win against the Wallabies was a confidence boost for the Springboks.
- But waste remains a concern for Poke coaches ahead of the All Blacks in Auckland.
- Strikers coach Deion Davids is impressed with New Zealand’s start to the tournament.
Like a series of one-off runners closing in on a corner, one huge ball carrier after another, all of Springbok rugby’s notable successes are built on momentum.
Take their three World Cup titles, for example: 1995 was achieved after Transvaal made the Super 10 final, 2007’s win came after two SA franchises rarity in the Super 14 desiders, while 2019 was built on the Boks as it was crowned. Rugby’s championship winners that year.
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There will always be grumblings that, since 2019 was just a one-round contest, the Boks’ first rugby championship title wasn’t quite the same, kids say.
But the fact that they became the first team in history to win the Webb Ellis Cup the same year they won the Rugby Championship says one thing – the Springboks should feel like they’re picking steam as they enter a tournament as big as this year’s World Cup.
This is where this year’s Rugby Championship tournament comes in. The Stormers have already taken care of the second side by finishing second to Munster in the URC. Now the Boks need to follow up by winning the Rugby Championship.
As in the beginning, a 43-12 win over Australia at Loftus Versfeld was exactly what they needed, particularly as this put them at the top of the table, two points clear of their next opponents, the All Blacks.
The narrow margins at the top of the rugby championship record make Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks – who beat Argentina 41-12 in the season opener – an effective final, which explains why Bock’s management team sent an advanced squad of players to acclimatise. The match in Auckland.
Of course, the showdown at Mt Smart Stadium would not have held so much anticipation had the Boks not convincingly pulled away from the Wallabies’ Eddie Jones, something offensive coach Deon Davids said is a source of confidence looking forward to the clash.
“You always want to have momentum at the start of the season,” he said before leaving for New Zealand.
“You also want to win well and build from the areas you were good at and find solutions as quickly as possible for the areas you can improve.
“We’re happy with the performance. The guys haven’t played for so long and it was good to see them get along so quickly and put in such good performances. Obviously, looking back, there were good rewards, but we also created a lot of chances we didn’t take.”
A similarly wasteful approach would not work against the Eagles of the original game, the All Blacks, Davids cautioned.
“At this level if you get chances you have to get points and we couldn’t. When you play against a team like the All Blacks at home you have to be very experienced with your performance, especially when you get a lot of chances.
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“If you give them opportunities, they will take advantage of them. Different departments will review their areas differently, but from a specific point of view I thought there are good rewards, although there are areas we can improve on.”
Davids was understandably impressed with the All Blacks, whose convincing victory was away in Argentina, a place where hostility doesn’t always guarantee smooth passage for visiting teams.
“It was a great start by the New Zealanders. It was a physical and intense performance from them, and leading them 31-0 at halftime showed you how they use chances when they get them.”
Given that, it will be important for us to maintain possession as we expect them to have a very tough and physical game. It’s not easy to go there…”