Perth - Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has warned his players that he may make “hard changes” if they don’t improve in the next two weeks, but he also wants them to become excited about rectifying their mistakes.
The Boks arrived in Perth on Sunday ahead of this weekend’s Rugby Championship clash against Australia at the Paterson’s Stadium (formerly the Subiaco Oval) and Meyer said he has spoken to every player about the state of the team following the 16-16 draw against Argentina in Mendoza.
“The guys know that they weren’t good enough. We’ve had one-on-ones with all the players, and went through the video,” Meyer said at the team hotel.
“They know that it’s not good enough and they know exactly where they stand. As a coach, you try to take the pressure off and let them be excited about a new game.
“They must obviously take the responsibility, but they must be more excited and positive for the next game. They know they weren’t great last Saturday and they know that I will make hard changes if I have to if they don’t come through these next two games.”
But the Bok boss still believes that the team is heading in the right direction.
The Boks lacked direction on the day, and the forwards were outmuscled upfront.
“I truly believe that Argentina are a much better side than what people believe, especially the way they can slow the game down and be on the border of being illegal. But again, we had to adapt better.
“I have high standards, and I want the players to have high standards too.
“I know that they are a much better team than what they have showed,” Meyer added. “But I truly believe that we are on the right track. We know there’s still a lot of hard work to do.
“It doesn’t make it any easier if you lose a lot of your leaders and experienced players, but the guys will learn from this.”
One of the major problem areas for the Boks against Argentina was the breakdowns, and Meyer is hoping that recalled loose forward Francois Louw will make a difference.
Louw is a past master at creating turnovers, and he joined the Bok camp yesterday from English club Bath.
“He has done well for Bath, and is an experienced player, if you look at our loose trio at the moment - there isn’t a lot of experience there,” Meyer added. “He also brings an extra leadership element, which we certainly need at this stage.
“I went through the videos of the last two games between Australia and New Zealand, and there was actually a lot of competing on the ground.
“That is one area we need to look at. He will fit into that role. We will assess him and see how he goes. But I am very happy to have a player of his stature here, especially with all the injuries to our senior players. I think he can play a big role.
“I always want the option of a specialist openside, maybe on the bench. Usually when it’s northern-hemisphere referees (Welshman Nigel Owens will blow the whistle on Saturday), they are more lenient on the breakdown.”
Cape Argus