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30 Sept 2012, 19:10
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30 Sept 2012, 19:10#1
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Springboks bring AllBlack mentality into their matches
James Mortimer - (1/10/2012) - 7 Comments
The Springboks have echoed their upcoming opponents, the All Blacks, in saying that they didn't need to change anything with their game plan, but just needed to be more accurate in taking their chances in the heat of test match battle.
The World Champions frustration throughout The Investec Rugby Championship that they were not able to take all of their opportunities, and the Springboks felt that their lack of recent success came from the same malaise.
There was hint of dissent among the South African rugby fraternity with the lack of convincing victories by their premier rugby team, entering Pretoria without three wins in their last three fixtures in The Investec Rugby Championship, but were able to silence any critics with a strong performance against a Wallabies team that eventually finished the test match without a full starting XV on the field.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers looked unimpressed when asked if the team had changed much after a draw to Argentina and back to back losses against the Wallabies and All Blacks, with the centre saying that the entire time the side were still looking at playing towards the old pressure based blueprint that had been effectively employed by Bulls and South African outfits in the past.
"We haven't changed one thing," he said
"The thing that has changed is that we are now capitalising on the pressure we put on the opposition. People don't seem to understand that."
De Villiers praised debutant starting first five-eighth Johan Goosen, but said that the eventual outcome came from the team adjusting to the situation - something that coach Heyneke Meyer said his troops did not do effectively in their three match winless streak.
"We have shown that we can create," De Villiers said.
"Now we are starting to finish. It's not that we went out there with a more attacking mindset. It was more about playing the situation.
"If the opposition leave men back, then obviously there is more space to attack from close. If they bring men up, then you will kick to the back to find the space. No defence is watertight, there is always space. It's about finding out where that space is and exploiting it."
Meyer felt that the team could have done better.
"We have very high standards, and there were three more tries that we should have scored," he said.
"It's great to come home and win, and we haven't beaten the Aussies for some time, but we have to start taking those opportunities.
