Players’ fitness is Coetzee’s biggest concern
IT’S not only the Springboks’ game plan, their defence and aerial skills that will be under scrutiny on next month’s tour of Europe, but their fitness as well.
As is usually the case at this time of year the tour group’s conditioning will be under the microscope following another gruelling rugby season. The majority of the players have been at it since February when Super Rugby kicked off and then they pretty much went straight into the Currie Cup, which concluded over the weekend. On top of that there was the pre-season, which started in November last year, as well as the hundreds of hours spent on the training ground.
In a nutshell, the Boks are a spent force in November in Europe. But they’ll be asked to get up and perform against the Barbarians, England, Italy and Wales.
And then, Bok coach Allister Coetzee will also have to re-integrate those players who’re playing in Europe and in Japan, and will only join the Boks on the Monday before the England Test. It doesn’t give him or his coaching team much time to put in place their plans for the next few weeks.
Only a handful of the players who did duty in the Rugby Championship will be somewhat rejuvenated now after being told to rest before the November tour. They are mainly the players who have Springbok contracts and then there are also those men whose Currie Cup teams failed to make the playoffs, allowing them to put their feet up.
But, conditioning remains a problem area for the Boks; which was highlighted during the Rugby Championship when it became all too clear that the All Blacks seemed to out-last Coetzee’s men and actually upped their performance the longer the matches went on. Coetzee says conditioning is hugely concerning now, ahead of the four-match tour, and will be addressed by the South African Rugby Union immediately after the trip to the UK and Italy.
“Conditioning is such an important aspect that it wasn’t even dealt with at the recent indaba... it was felt it needs to be handled completely on its own,” said Coetzee as his team started preparations for the tour in Joburg.
“There will be an indaba in December to just focus on conditioning, but the reality is there is no way we can have a single model for it in our country.
“Every individual’s needs have to be addressed separately. We must also bear in mind that the needs of the Lions players, for example, will differ from those of the Stormers players; one might have strength problems, the other aerobic problems.”
Better conditioning, and a focus on an individual’s needs will also help alleviate a growing injury list. “We’re going to prepare as best we can, put our plans in place and I believe we will always give ourselves a chance,” said Coetzee about the assignment that lies ahead. “But the condition of the squad at this time of year is always a big challenge.”