The Springboks have put themselves under pressure to convert more scoring opportunities in the Castle Rugby Championship, reports JON CARDINELLI in Johannesburg.
How different the 2012 Test season may have been if the Boks had made better use of their chances. Indeed, had they been more accurate in front of goal, they may have beaten England in the third Test in Port Elizabeth and Argentina in Mendoza. They would have achieved a remarkable feat in beating the All Blacks in Dunedin.
The Boks' try-scoring prowess, or relative lack thereof, was also in the spotlight in that 2012 season. The pressure was on Heyneke Meyer's men to deliver a more balanced showing in the first three Tests of 2013, and they didn't disappoint, scoring 16 tries and amassing 130 points.
They will go into the Rugby Championship with some momentum and confidence, but also with the knowledge that the Sanzar tournament will demand an improvement in terms of their attack. On Tuesday, backline coach Ricardo Loubscher said that the Boks have no intent of slowing down.
'It comes back to the idea of balance,' said Loubscher. 'There has to be a balance between kicking and running, and we back our players to make the right calls.
'I was impressed with what I saw in the June Test series. We scored a lot of tries from turnovers. Our counter-attacking play has really improved. Defences will be tighter in the Rugby Championship, but the onus is still on us to build the pressure and find those gaps.'
Loubscher understands that opportunities will be limited, and that finishing will be even more important in a competition that features the three top-ranked sides in the world. If the Boks have an opportunity to score, they must make it count.
'There have been some great individual displays in the past three Tests, but as always it's important that we attack as a unit,' he said. 'If we make a turnover, we have to make sure we finish.
'In matches of this nature [in the Rugby Championship], you don't get a lot of chances. You may receive just one opportunity, late in the game, and then you have to make it count. So in that respect, we will be looking for the players to show their composure and finish well.'
