Boks Seek Improvement In Second Puma Test

 

Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids emphasised the importance of improving their standards and game execution as the team returned to the training field on Monday to prepare for their second Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Nelson Mandela Bay on Saturday.

Davids also confirmed that a handful of injured players were on the road to recovery and he was confident that they would be available for the Boks' Australasian tour.

The players on the injury list include scrumhalves Faf de Klerk (leg muscle strain), Herschel Jantjies (hip pointer), and loose forwards Marco van Staden, Rynhardt Elstadt, Duane Vermeulen (all three have ankle issues), as well as Jean-Luc du Preez (knee).

The Springboks kicked off their campaign on a winning note with a 32-12 bonus-point victory against Argentina last weekend, and while Davids was pleased with the result, he said they would work even harder to reach their desired standard of play as the overseas leg of the competition approaches.

“The plan the players made for the last game was correct, but our execution was not always as effective as we would have liked it to be,” said Davids.

“That said, the players found solutions throughout the game and that assisted us in reacting better.

“Looking forward, we need to set our standards and see what we can do better as individuals, and we have to ensure that we implement that at training so that it filters onto the playing field.

“So, for us, it is about driving standards and getting better in our execution.”

While Davids spoke openly about their determination to raise the quality of their performance on the field this weekend, he was pleased to see how the players who took the field - in a matchday squad featuring 12 changes to the last Test against the British & Irish Lions - rose to the occasion against a physical Argentinean outfit.

“We always look for opportunities to broaden the players’ experience, and we are happy with how the younger players stepped in (against Argentina),” said Davids.

“After winning the Castle Lager Lions Series and going into the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, the younger players had to step up to the occasion and there were big moments that they handled quite well.

"So, in general, we are quite happy with how they responded. That said, obviously having assessed the game, there are areas we can improve on, and we’ll work on that this week.”