Pressure mounting on Bok coach

Embattled Springbok coach Allister Coetzee admitted he was feeling the heat after the national team went down in another record loss to Ireland in Dublin at the weekend.

In a further blow, prop Coenie Oosthuizen was ordered to head home after picking up a knee injury in the second minute, with a replacement expected to be announced in due course.

While the time may have come for him to pack it in, Coetzee highlighted a poor set-piece, ill-discipline and a below-par kicking game as some of the major reasons for their 38-3 hammering.

“When you lose a Test you are definitely under pressure, but I like to see our inconsistencies improve in a big way,” Coetzee said.

“We must ask ourselves, coming from the Super Rugby and Rugby Championship mode of ball-in-hand, whether we are there yet and whether we understand the northern hemisphere kicking game. Not just kicking, but putting pressure on it.”

They would have to rectify the situation against France this weekend, Coetzee insisted.

“We have three Tests left on this tour and while we have to give Ireland credit, we have to learn and improve from that,” he said.

“I thought in the 20 minutes after half-time there was a bit of a momentum shift.

“There are, however, no positives from the game and as a group we need to take responsibility. We let ourselves down and we simply have to fight our way back.”

They would also need to assess whether drastic selection changes were required.

“We will have to see if there can be value added to the team and make those changes,” Coetzee said.

“Coenie is a really big loss and Wilco (Louw) played really well for a first Test start, but our scrumming needs to improve, our tactical approach needs work and our discipline wasn’t good.”

Springbok captain Eben Etzebeth admitted they were simply poor on the day.

“It was a tough day and there are no excuses, but we will have to rectify this,” he said.

How the Boks rated: Page 30