The Springboks can no longer rely on gees alone to close out games and will need to make a drastic step up in performance if they are to beat Argentina in Salta on Saturday according to scrumhalf Faf de Klerk.
Faced with imminent defeat and the fear of a public backlash, the Springboks are making it a habit of staging dramatic come-from-behind surges to win games as was the case again at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
It was not that the Springboks had to chase the game from the beginning but more to do with them losing grip on proceedings after a good start to the game.
The Springboks allowed themselves to be dragged down into the kind of ugly street fight that the Pumas have mastered over the years.
As much as the Springboks were praised for their resilience and character to again haul themselves from the jaws of defeat, it is a trait that cannot guarantee them the same result in Salta and further on in the Rugby Championship.
De Klerk, who was one of the shining lights in an otherwise lukewarm performance by the Springboks in Nelspruit, believes that they have learnt a lot from their comeback against Ireland during the June Test series and carry with them the confidence and belief that they can win games if they stick to their processes.
“It was a bit different from Ellis Park to this win. Ellis Park we knew we wanted to jol and to run. When they scored the second try we got behind the poles and said to each other there is still 15 minutes left, we are playing great rugby we are going to score two tries and are going to win this game. I think everybody’s calmness came through a bit and we gained a lot of experience out of that Ireland Test series and that showed a bit. I think we showed resilience and I don’t think it is a fear (of losing) but a confidence that we know we can beat these guys if we stick to our jobs,” said De Klerk.
While the Springboks will be looking at making improvements everywhere, De Klerk wants there to be greater focus on the breakdown so that they can generate the quick ball they thrive on.
“Ja, it was very frustrating. The main thing for us is to get quick ball against these guys. It was difficult and frustrating for me but I think we handled it quite well in the last 20 minutes of the game. We focused on that and I think it is a good focus point for next week to make sure we get nice quick and clean ball and get those threats out because every single guy goes for a steal at the breakdown. Maybe the referee could have pinned them a few times because they slow the ball down a lot so maybe next week we’ll be a bit more clinical at ruck time,” De Klerk said.
The Springboks left for Buenos Aires yesterday and with little change expected in their match day 23 except for the change at prop where Vincent Koch is likely to replace the injured Julian Redelinghuys, Allister Coetzee’s men will be better off using the gees from Saturday’s win to secure a comfortable and convincing win in Salta. - The Star