Davids: Boks must have alignment between own picture and what the referee sees ...
SPRINGBOK forwards coach Deon Davids says they need to make sure that there is alignment between their pack and the referee when it comes to the scrums in their second Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.
While not too many things went right for the Boks in their first game of the away leg of the tournament, the scrum is perhaps the one area where they could really feel aggrieved with some of the calls.
Now, as they prepare for the next challenge, a clear understanding at scrum time is crucial as they aim to right the wrongs of last weekend, Davids said.
“Set-pieces are a very important part of our game. The scrum is an area that is very difficult to officiate, but looking back at that game, we just need to make sure that there is alignment between the picture we see and what the referee sees,” Davids said.
“I feel for both the players and the referees who have to make those calls. We discussed that today, and there was also a brief discussion with the referees. We need to make sure that we know what’s needed to gain dominance going forward.
“We had extensive discussions around certain areas in the game that we feel we need to overcome to get forward in the game.
“But we also had to say that this was maybe not our best performance, not just individually, but also as a team. We also had a lot of opportunities, and if we had used those right,
the result could have been different.
“I think the players searched for solutions throughout the game, but I am confident that the players will handle whatever is thrown at them differently this week.”
Davids added that they will have a report on their injuries and an update on star wing Cheslin Kolbe – who missed the last game after sustaining
a leg injury during training – today.
“We travelled yesterday, and today we had extensive meetings where we discussed the areas we need to work on. All the guys with niggles were involved in that. We will have clarity on everybody tomorrow once we have hit the field,” Davids said.
Meanwhile, the Boks have confirmed that lock Nicolaas Janse van
Rensburg will miss the remainder of the Rugby Championship after withdrawing from the squad due to personal reasons.
Janse van Rensburg, who made his Test debut against Argentina in Gqeberha following the Springboks’ series victory over the British & Irish Lions, was one of five specialist locks in the Bok touring squad to Australia, with the others being Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert and Marvin Orie.
At the weekend, Bok coach Jacques Nienaber opted for three loose forwards among the replacements as they went with a six-two split between forwards and backs.
Jasper Wiese, Kwagga Smith and Marco van Staden provided loose-forward reinforcements on the bench.
In the current group, utility forwards Rynhardt Elstadt and Jean-Luc du Preez can cover lock and loose forward.
This gives the Boks sufficient options in the second row as they prepare to take on Australia in Brisbane on Saturday, and New Zealand thereafter in back-to-back Tests in Queensland, Nienaber said.
“It is always sad to lose a player, and especially such a good team man, but Nicolaas has personal matters to attend to, and as a Springbok family we support him,” said Nienaber.
“With the strict Covid-19 protocols to enter Australia, which includes a mandatory two-week quarantine, he will not be returning. But we are fortunate to have depth in our touring squad as we prepare for a challenging string of matches against Australia and New Zealand in the next three weeks.”