Springbok coach Allister Coetzee expressed his satisfaction in the composure shown by his team in their 30-23 win over Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday.
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The Bath Rugby scavenger will win his 47th cap when the Springboks’ Rugby Championship campaign kicks off in Nelspruit.
“This team never gives up”, said a proud Coetzee after a winning start to a championship completed by title-holders Australia and New Zealand. However, he lamented the 20 minutes before and after halftime. We need to put together longer periods of good play.
“We’ll be facing a massive forward onslaught, ” Coetzee said on Thursday.
“The decision-making on how to play territory was not quite there”.
“We understand it isn’t good, it isn’t clinical but it is a work in progress”.
A mistake then allowed Montero to break down the wing to set up a try for Santiago Cordero as Argentina went 23-13 up. “The last 25 minutes were much better and more like what we want to achieve”. We also have the option of Jaco Kriel who can make an impact from the bench. “That is where we are still struggling but that will come”. Resilience and resolve in the team is something we try to create in the side and they respond well to that.
“We can not underestimate this Argentinean side”.
All Blacks man of the moment Beauden Barrett scored 17 points for the world champions as they thrashed the Wallabies 42-8 in Sydney earlier Saturday. “They played wet weather tests against France in June and they looked comfortable today in the damp conditions”.
“You can not coach this never-say-die spirit”, stressed the coach who succeeded Heyneke Meyer this year and has plotted three straight wins after a loss to Ireland in Cape Town.
“With their leg chops on defence and the way they attack the rucks, they really throw you out of your own game plan and we always say there’s momentum shifts in games and with penalty counts and rucks they disrupt your momentum and unsettle you”. It was tight and the ball was slippery.
“We showed a lot of pride and the crowd definitely pulled us through”.
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“We need to learn how to close the game. The guys had belief and energy, even at the late stage”, Strauss said. We took our time, even with nine minutes left.
