Place for 'kicking game' in Bok armoury
New Springbok Allister Coetzee has said his team needs to take a more 'pragmatic' and 'balanced' approach to the game at international level.
Speaking to the media ahead of the second Test against Ireland at Ellis Park this coming Saturday, Coetzee made it clear the all-out attacking gameplan of South Africa's best Super Rugby franchise, the Lions, will not suffice at Test level.
In fact he felt that there is still plenty of room for a kicking game, pointing out that that is why Ireland beat the Boks 26-20 at Newlands last Saturday.
Coetzee said the key is the decision making of his flyhalves, scrumhalves and inside centres.
"We are not pointing fingers at anyone," he said of last week's loss, adding: "We [will] take it on the chin as a collective."
He said the Boks must get the balance between playing too much – being too expansive – and playing for territory.
"We definitely played too much in our own half," he said of the Newlands loss, adding that a more pragmatic approach is needed.
"We should not be sucked into the Super Rugby vibe," the Bok mentor said.
He said that while sometimes it looks on to just "run it from everywhere", there is always the danger of getting shut down in your own half or turn ball over in your own half.
"Test rugby is different," Coetzee said, adding: "The players [now] have a full understanding of what Test rugby is all about."
The is adamant that last week's loss is not the end of the world, saying a season is not defined by the first game.
"We learnt a lot about ourselves as a team and a group.
"The challenge would be to respond this weekend [in the second Test at Ellis Park]."
"There are times when you have to do it [carry the ball].
"However, balance is the key word – there is still place for the kicking game.
"Look at how the Irish put us under pressure [at Newlands].
"They weren't interested in playing.
"All they did was make it as difficult as possible for us to exit, put it in behind us, turn us and we got bogged down in our own 22-metre area.
"From that they got a penalty, a drop-goal; and a chip-kick try.
"It was very clever tactics and I don't think we handled it well."
He said the Boks will be better equipped to deal with the Irish tactics this week.
"There will be a balanced approach to our game.
"We have to respect certain areas of the field."
He also dismissed the notion that the Northern Hemisphere might not be up there with the top four in the Southern Hemisphere, because the World Cup semifinals were an all-south affair.
"The Northern Hemisphere are playing closer to Test-match rugby [in their domestic competitions] compared to us, when we play Super Rugby."
By Jan de Koning, in Johannesburg
@King365ed
@rugby365com
