Coetzee confident Boks can cause an upset

NOW IT is time for the ultimate test for the Springboks when they come face-to-face with the reigning world champions the All Blacks, the team that hurt them the most in last year’s disastrous season.

And Springbok coach Allister Coetzee believes his team are ready and prepared to face their toughest challenge, even though still in the infancy of their upward trajectory.

While the Springboks remain unbeaten this year after six matches, Coetzee would have left Perth, along with his team headed for Auckland, with mixed emotions after their 23-23 draw against the Wallabies on Saturday.

That first half, on the slippery surface at the nib Stadium would not have helped the Springboks cause considering that it was the first time this year they had to contend with such conditions, was poor from a side that had played their previous five Tests with intent and purpose.

But it would have been their come-frombehind second half showing that would have had Coetzee particularly happy and confident of an even better showing against the All Blacks.

The manner in which the team dominated the set-piece from the scrums to the lineouts and how they also bossed proceedings at the breakdown are areas where the Springboks continue to show growth in their game and Coetzee believes these will be essential building blocks going into this week.

“I’m pleased with the growth in the team but we haven’t achieved anything yet and we are not where we want to be and can be. But you can’t ask for more effort from the players. Their physicality, being a mobile pack and being a set-piece pack, takes a massive effort in terms of the conditioning to make sure that they are fresh and recovered. This will be our challenge – to make sure the players are fully recovered, do the little things off the field very well, keep looking for one-percenters, and we have to be fresh,” said Coetzee.

Coetzee has also called for a major improvement in everything that they do from their weaknesses which are still characterised by bad decision-making, poor handling errors and soft moments on defence which let in crucial points, to their strengths which is epitomised by the hard graft the entire team puts in.

“I’m really pleased at the effort the players are putting in and the way they work for each other. If you look at the small things which are hardly coachable, that effort and intensity is there, they enjoy each other and the team environment is very healthy. There’s a lot of competition in the squad and from a Springbok point of view, we are making huge strides,” Coetzee said.

It will be in getting things right from their side that the Springboks will stand any chance of conquering the All Blacks in their backyard, a feat the South Africans last achieved in 2009 under Peter de Villiers.

The Wallabies and Argentina proved that the All Blacks are not invincible, and all that the Springboks will need do is to be accurate and apply pressure throughout.

“Everything (must improve). Our mindset was completely different this time, we didn’t think about the All Blacks game while we still had to play the Wallabies.

“Of course now it is time to focus on the next one which will be a hell of a battle. They are still the best side in world rugby obviously but Argentina also showed that when you are accurate, apply pressure in all the areas of the game, you can take them on.

“We have a lot of respect for both these teams (Wallabies and All Blacks), we’ve been playing year in and year out and it is always a hard game. I’m just pleased that our side are really growing and learning and they are taking all learning experiences on board and hopefully it will help us a lot going there (Auckland) next week.” THE BROKEN arm injury suffered by in-form prop Coenie Oosthuizen which led to him being sent home from Australia, has left Springbok coach Allister Coetzee with a selection poser at prop.

Oosthuizen’s untimely injury will strike a major blow to the Springboks pack and scrumming prowess ahead of their Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks at QBE Stadium in Albany this Saturday (9.35am kickoff ).

Western Province powerhouse prop Wilco Louw will be joining the Springboks in Auckland this week and could be in contention to make his international debut considering there are injury doubts over the versatile Trevor Nyakane too.

Nyakane suffered a cut around his left eye which required eight stitches in Saturday’s 23-all draw against the Wallabies at nib Stadium in Perth and whether he will be fit for battle against New Zealand remains uncertain.

It will be another big blow for Coetzee’s plans if Nyakane is ruled out of Saturday’s Test as the impact made by both Nyakane and Steven Kitshoff in the scrums and in general play has been immense since the beginning of the Rugby Championship last month.

With Oosthuizen out, Nyakane seemed to be the logical successor of the No 3 jersey but now it is looking more like Lions prop Ruan Dreyer could be the man to start alongside Tendai Mtawarira and Malcolm Marx.

With only one Test cap to his name, which he earned in the third Test against France at Ellis Park in June, Dreyer could find himself at the heart of what could be the fiercest scrum battle in world rugby this year.

While Coetzee mulls over his frontrow, he will also have to take careful consideration of his second row after Pieter-Steph du Toit put on a stellar performance in the stalemate against the Wallabies.

Du Toit was elevated to the starting line-up in place of the industrious Franco Mostert, who Coetzee rested.

But there will be a need for all of the Springboks’ top players to be accounted for in the face of battle against their most bitter rivals and foes.

Mostert has commanded the No 5 jersey with aplomb since being handed a starting berth in the series against France and he is a must-have selection in any Springbok team for his sheer hard toil in all departments.

But it would be equally a failure for Coetzee to leave out Du Toit after he put on a performance worthy of the country’s reigning Player of the Year and one that will be needed against the All Blacks.