Boks hope for some lift after first flop
Source: Agencies |
July 16, 2010, Friday
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A SLIGHT lift in intensity should help the Springboks get back into the Tri-Nations title hunt when they face All Blacks in Wellington tomorrow, South African lock Victor Matfield has said.
The world champions struggled to match the All Blacks' high-octane game plan during their 12-32 thrashing in the opening Tri-Nations match last week in Auckland.
"They did a lot of things right but I must say, we also weren't there 100 percent," Matfield told reporters yesterday.
"We were probably about 97 (percent) and we know in these games if you're one or two percent off your game, you will get smashed. And that's what happened. Hopefully we can be there 100 percent this week and then hopefully it will be a better test match."
Matfield said the Springboks would not alter their tactics in the wake of the Auckland loss and would look to play in the All Blacks territory and accumulate points through pressure.
"We all know how we play, we won't go away from that," he added. "We're a team that likes to put pressure on the other team, to really strangle them. Because we weren't there and we weren't quick enough off our line (last week), we couldn't do that.
"We gave them space and time and they penalized us for that."
All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said there was no reason for the side to veer away from their expansive style, adding that the real test was whether they could produce the same result.
South Africa, which will be without lock Bakkies Botha after he was banned for nine weeks following his head butt on Jimmy Cowan, made just one other change with CJ van der Linde replacing the injured Jannie du Plessis at tighthead prop.
Botha has been replaced by Danie Rossouw, but he suffered a calf strain in training.
The world champions struggled to match the All Blacks' high-octane game plan during their 12-32 thrashing in the opening Tri-Nations match last week in Auckland.
"They did a lot of things right but I must say, we also weren't there 100 percent," Matfield told reporters yesterday.
"We were probably about 97 (percent) and we know in these games if you're one or two percent off your game, you will get smashed. And that's what happened. Hopefully we can be there 100 percent this week and then hopefully it will be a better test match."
Matfield said the Springboks would not alter their tactics in the wake of the Auckland loss and would look to play in the All Blacks territory and accumulate points through pressure.
"We all know how we play, we won't go away from that," he added. "We're a team that likes to put pressure on the other team, to really strangle them. Because we weren't there and we weren't quick enough off our line (last week), we couldn't do that.
"We gave them space and time and they penalized us for that."
All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said there was no reason for the side to veer away from their expansive style, adding that the real test was whether they could produce the same result.
South Africa, which will be without lock Bakkies Botha after he was banned for nine weeks following his head butt on Jimmy Cowan, made just one other change with CJ van der Linde replacing the injured Jannie du Plessis at tighthead prop.
Botha has been replaced by Danie Rossouw, but he suffered a calf strain in training.
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