Combinations are key
Bok coach looking for continuity in selections
IN SELECTING his first team of the year, it was clear that Allister Coetzee adopted the old adage that “combinations are key”. However, there will have to be some rethinking for the upcoming match in Durban as half of his Bulls centre combination will be sitting out this week.
Jesse Kriel was taken off the field prematurely against the French in the first Test match at Loftus with a failed concussion test. It has emerged, according to Bok Doctor Konrad von Hagen, that Kriel definitely suffered a concussion and won’t be rushed back.
Part of that reasoning must be the timely return from injury of Lions outside centre Lionel Mapoe. Coetzee may have to break up his combination in the midfield, but he does not need to make too many changes to the team this week.
“It is disruptive,” Coetzee said of Kriel’s injury. “Both him and Damien (De Allende) out now, but I want to take the focus away from Jesse and say how good Jan Serfontein was. He was outstanding. Jan has brought good experience with his now 27 caps; he has an unbelievable work rate and he has helped Elton (Jantjies) as well.”
The praise that Coetzee heaped on the inside centre from the Bulls leads one to believe that despite Serfontein playing a lot of his rugby for the Pretoria outfit at no 13, he will remain at No 12 for the upcoming Test.
“I will settle with a specialist outside centre,” Coetzee reaffirmed. “Serfontein has played such an important role for us at 12; I wouldn’t want to shift him, and then you make two changes. I’d rather stick with Jan at 12, and come with Lionel Mapoe... or whoever as a 13.”
Despite Coetzee’s poor attempt at mystery regarding his team selection, it seems that Mapoe will, indeed, be the man to come straight into the starting line up. The coach has called up Cheetahs outside centre Francois Venter from the SA “A” squad, just down the road, also based in Durban, but that will be more for cover in the squad.
After a dominant display, the coach was happy to concede that mistakes are still allowed to occur for his freshly selected team – especially in the back three who had zero caps between them before kicking off in Pretoria. Coetzee was happy to see the likes of Raymond Rhule and Andries Coetzee working hard to fix little errors, and seems happy to give this side more chances without the need for tinkering.
“Continuity is key, we have to make sure we get the combinations going and get them to settle down. If we have to make changes, it won’t just be for the sake of it. This team needs to build momentum and we need to keep building it,” Coetzee concluded.
So, despite losing a direct combination in the centres, Coetzee can still be happy with the way a few of the provincial teammates performed. The spine of the team, from No 8 and Warren Whitely through Ross Cronje to flyhalf Elton Jantjies, was pivotal, but including Mapoe to a backline with other Lions in Andries Coetzee and Courtnall Skosan could provide even more fireworks.