Allister Coetzee says the Springboks will have to lift their performance to another level if they are to overcome Argentina in Salta, writes CRAIG LEWIS in Port Elizabeth.
While the Boks led virtually from start to finish at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on their way to a comfortable 37-15 win in their Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, a reserved Coetzee certainly wasn’t letting it get away at the post-match press conference.
‘We’re pleased with the result, but we also know it wasn’t a perfect performance,’ he said. ‘This is just the start … The pack really played well, and that’s what you need at Test level, while the impact of the bench was exactly what we wanted. But although there were a lot of positives, there are just as many work-ons. Come next week, we have to step it up even further.’
The Boks are expected to name an unchanged team for the second Test in Salta, with Coetzee reiterating that players such as Uzair Cassiem and Coenie Oosthuizen had passed their individual tests with flying colours.
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Indeed, the duo were at the heart of another powerful performance from the Bok pack, with an early scrum penalty setting the tone for a physical and committed effort from the Springboks’ forwards.
While the Bok attack was occasionally too lateral, Elton Jantjies produced a virtual masterclass at flyhalf, and wingers Courtnall Skosan and Raymond Rhule displayed the try-scoring prowess that they have been picked for.
Coetzee also reiterated that Argentina were the sort of team that had to be worn down.
‘The Pumas are a really good side, a lot of people are quick to write them off or suggest they are just the Jaguares [from Super Rugby]. But it showed how long it took us to break their defence down. We had to stay patient and look after the ball well.’
That point was certainly proven from the first minute on Saturday. While the Boks won possession from the kick-off and took the ball through 16 phases, they failed to make any headway before Argentina then won a turnover.
‘Argentina are a really physical team,’ Coetzee said. ‘So we had to keep bashing away, but I felt like we handled their threats well. We made some big hits with our gang-tackling, and this result is a massive positive in terms of our progress.’
The Boks will delay their departure to Salta until Wednesday, with Coetzee suggesting that having another couple of days to recover and train in Port Elizabeth should ensure that the team is fresh upon arrival.
‘We will have to look at our tactics and approach in Argentina. It’s never easy playing away from home, but we just need to keep building on our processes. We have to keep scrumming well, keep improving our maul, bettering our kicking game and our execution. The will to score tries is always there, but the balance needs to be better.’
Last year, the Boks suffered a historic first-ever defeat in Argentina, but Bok captain Eben Etzebeth said it would be crucial for the team to head to Salta without any fear.
‘We have to take some momentum into next week. We need go there with confidence and get the monkey off our back where we think it’s going to be difficult in Argentina. As long as we prepare well, and get our mindset right, then we can achieve another victory.’
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