Springbok flanker Paul de Villiers is tackled during Friday’s Nations Championship clash against France. De Villiers and fellow loose forward Cameron Hanekom (left) made a strong impact off the bench in Paris and will push for starting places against Ireland.
The Springboks can’t dwell too long on their mishaps in attack against France, knowing that another difficult challenge awaits against Ireland this coming weekend.
There is still plenty to play for in the Nations Championship, and although the world champions suffered a tough 21-19 loss at the Stade de France, they remain in the hunt for top spot in the Southern Hemisphere standings.
New Zealand’s shock loss to Wales on Saturday opened the door for the second-placed Boks (21 points) to sneak in and snatch the first place again, but they must beat Ireland this weekend and hope England can condemn the log-leading All Blacks (22 points) to a second successive defeat or keep them from gaining a bonus-point should they win.
Erasmus weighs continuity against change
South Africa will know by kick-off in Dublin (6.40pm) whether they still have a chance of topping the log and what they must do to achieve it. A victory with a bonus point for the Kiwis at Twickenham will seal their place in the main match of Finals Weekend. The Springboks will then have to be happy with finishing second.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus is set to announce his team for the Round 6 match on Monday, and while he has been set on consistency, the importance of this match puts him and his assistants in a pickle. They will face the following dilemma: do they select the same squad, or is it time to freshen up certain positions in an attempt to improve on the performance against France?
While the forwards comfortably had the upper hand over France, especially at scrum and lineout time, the backline’s difficult evening will certainly raise questions. Several players underperformed, with Les Bleus enjoying particular success with their kicking game and exploiting space after defensive lapses.
Backline must respond to France pressure
It was one of the few times this season that the Boks were outjumped under the high ball, while the home side’s rush defence smothered the dangerous backs, leaving flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scrumhalf Morné van den Berg under constant pressure. They were unable to get things going behind the forwards.
The Springboks arrived in Dublin on Saturday and will begin their on-field preparations on Monday for the clash. They will have little time to dwell on what went wrong in Paris, with their focus now firmly on finding solutions ahead of another crucial Test against Ireland.
Erasmus now faces some important selection decisions, particularly in the backline, where the Boks struggled to impose themselves against France. Whether he opts for continuity or makes changes, his team will need to be sharper in attack, more effective under the high ball and better equipped to deal with Ireland’s defensive pressure.