VIDEO: Os Lobos to test Bok depth
VIDEO: There will be some fresh new faces in the Springbok team that will host Portugal in a one-off Test in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids says this fixture against the world’s 16th-placed side was always earmarked to test the depth in the squad.
Davids told reporters at a media briefing on Monday that the Portuguese won’t need any motivation for this showdown.
“They will be highly motivated to show that they can play well and perform at this level, and they certainly won’t need more motivation knowing that they will be facing the world champions.
“They beat Fiji in the World Cup, so they are no pushovers,” he said.
“They like to move the ball around a lot and their head coach [Simon Mannix] has a New Zealand background.
“That says a lot about how they want to play, so it will be important to keep them at bay, dominate on attack and defence, and deny them momentum. We want to play the match on our terms,” Davids commented.
(Article continues below the interview …)
Portugal appointed former All Blacks flyhalf Simon Mannix as their new head coach after Patrice Lagisquet stepped down following their successful campaign during last year’s World Cup.
They beat Fiji in the pool stage to secure their first-ever win in a World Cup match.
“They [Portugal] also have a good support base in Bloemfontein and will want to make the most of the occasion of playing in front of a sold-out stadium. It will be a good Test for both teams.
“They beat Namibia last Saturday, who have a good coaching team, so it won’t be a case of us pitching up and winning the match.
“We must deliver a quality performance and give our best for 80 minutes.”
Asked if people can expect to see more innovation injected into the Springbok gameplan from the new assistant coaches at the Boks, Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, Davids was reluctant to give any details.
“Tony always talks about ‘building’ when we talk about attack.
“That takes time.
“No matter who we pick, we will use the previous game [against Ireland] as the foundation of where we are, what we continue doing, and what we need to improve on,” he explained.
It has been confirmed that Franco Mostert (lock) and Edwill van der Merwe (wing) will not be considered for selection due to injury while Damian de Allende has left the camp due to personal reasons.
“It is a chance for guys to impress. Our strategy for this year and going forward is important and part of that strategy is for us to manage our players effectively,” said Davids.
“We still have a very tough season ahead so it is important for us to look at the collective of the squad in terms of where we are and what we need.
“For us as the Springboks it is all about focusing on our game, the standards that we set, and respecting the opposition no matter who our opponents are,” Davids said.
