The Herald (South Africa)

Boks off to prepare for All Blacks showdown

- Craig Ray

THE Springboks headed to Cape Town yesterday to prepare for a rematch with the All Blacks, still searching for answers after Saturday’s 27-27 draw with Australia in Bloemfonte­in.

Players and management described the Highveld stalemate as feeling like a loss. They knew this was one that got away.

Playing at home and at high altitude should have been decisive factors to get the Boks over the line against a rebuilding Australian team that is inferior to many previous Wallaby teams in South Africa.

Prior to this match, over the previous five years, the Boks have beaten the Wallabies at home four times by an average score of 26-9, with the visitors not scoring more than 10 points in a game.

In the context of coming off a 57-0 loss to the All Blacks in Albany two weeks ago, the performanc­e in Bloemfonte­in was a step in the right direction. But the Wallabies are not the All Blacks.

In terms of personnel, Bok coach Allister Coetzee does not have many options to improve the side.

Scrumhalf Ross Cronje’s ability to be alive to sniping opportunit­ies was good against the Wallabies but his service was ponderous at times.

Francois Louw was not as effective at the breakdown as hoped and Pieter-Steph du Toit’s strong ball-carrying caught the eye when Louw was withdrawn.

Wing Dillyn Leyds was lively in his first start and despite having so much ball, the backline played too laterally at times. Fullback Andries Coetzee’s tactical kicking was also below standard.

Coetzee does not have many options to turn to, and even if he could, making wholesale changes now would be counter-productive.

The current squad will have to do their best to live with the All Blacks come Saturday.

Despite the disappoint­ing outcome against the Wallabies, Coetzee continued to talk about positives and growth. He is nothing if not an optimist.

“When you draw at home it actually feels like a loss, but I’m very proud of this team and the effort,” Coetzee said after the Wallaby clash.

“After a tough two weeks, it just shows the character of the side, and that was tested. It’s been an emotional week and we spoke of turning it around. Although the Wallabies got off to a fast start and scored first, we got stuck in.

“We created a lot of opportunit­ies and that to me alone is a massive positive.

“Yes, we left a lot of opportunit­ies out there, but with the processes we’re busy with, this team can feel that at one stage they were the better team out there. I know we have to win, but we are taking steps in the right direction.”

Coetzee is also enough of a realist to know that the All Blacks challenge at Newlands is daunting.

“We’ll be playing against a really good All Blacks side. But it’s just been a few months since this team has got together, so to think we can just go and topple the All Blacks easily would be living in a fool’s paradise.

“We have to look at the strides we’re taking and build on what we have. We will prepare as well as we can, and we will be ready for them at Newlands.”

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