Buzzing Boks delight coach

The Springboks have “big” plans on their agenda, according to coach Allister Coetzee, starting with their tough Rugby Championship journey Down Under.

Coetzee (below) will hold his first media conference in Australia this morning ahead of their clash against the Wallabies in Perth this weekend.

“We have our goals honestly set on bigger things going forward – long, short and immediate terms,” he said ahead of the team’s departure at the weekend.

“But short-term is Australia. That’s our immediate goal now.

“Normally when you go to Australasia you think the big game is the All Blacks, but Australia is the big game for us. The mentality has changed, and only then you look at the next one.”

While the Boks have gone unbeaten in five Tests this year, Coetzee admitted the real challenge would start with this away trip, with the national team having failed to secure the required results over there in recent years.

“We haven’t achieved anything yet,” he said.

“The team is still growing and when we get over there we want to be as fresh as possible, come this weekend, and perform to the best of our ability.”

In a boost for the side, the pain in prop Coenie Oosthuizen’s rib had subsided considerably, while fellow prop Ruan Dreyer was due to fly out yesterday after turning out for the Lions in the Currie Cup on Saturday.

“The players and the team environment are in a good space,” Coetzee said.

“We had a three-day break but I could see on Friday with our first team meeting, the buzz around, the energy around and also the happiness.

“So it’s really a happy group who are all just loving what we do at the moment.

“There’s a plan on the table and there’s excitement about the plan, excitement about the challenge.”