Bok prop aiming to silence critics
TEAM IS GROWING CLOSER AS A UNIT
Springbok prop Julian Redelinghuys admitted as a group they are not immune to the wave of criticism aimed at the national team after their recent poor run of form.
Redelinghuys is set to return to the line-up for this weekend’s penultimate Rugby Championship Test against Australia at Loftus Versfeld after recovering from a hamstring injury.
“South Africans are very passionate. We don’t like it if it doesn’t go our way,” Redelinghuys said yesterday.
“I think the pressure is massive, but I think we as a team stick together to make it easier and we see it as a positive because people want us to be better and we will get there.”
Redelinghuys had to watch proceedings from the sidelines during the trip Down Under and said that made it even worse.
“What’s nice is that it feels like we are getting better with every game, there’s little detail which is still lacking,” he said.
“It was heart-breaking for me to watch as you want to be part of it. But despite the results not going our way, I can feel the team is growing closer as a unit.”
The Bok forwards and scrum coach Matt Proudfoot said they had been handed their set of goals for the week on Sunday by coach Allister Coetzee and are determined to turn things around at home.
“Criticism is what it is, everyone is entitled to their opinion. As a coach I look at the players and they are my measure,” he said.
“If I contribute to making them better players, better men and contributing to the pack, that’s how we handle it. We are honest with ourselves.”
Proudfoot said the Bok scrum had been very stable this year although towards the back end of the All Blacks Test some issues arose.
“We are not happy conceding penalties on our ball. We have been pretty accurate since the June internationals with our scrum,” he said.
“It’s been a big focus in the first year’s campaign to develop a dominant scrum.
“We have had a look at the issues, there’s a few technical issues to make adjustments to. One must remember that the All Blacks’ front row is an experienced one and sometimes they get it right in what they want to do.”