"We will match their desperation." - Bok forwards coach

Springbok forwards coach Deon Davids has said that his charges know what is expected of them come Saturday when the face the All Blacks in Nelspruit. The All Blacks’ recent series loss to the Irish has given rise to the notion that they are no longer the powerhouse that they once were. However, the Boks are under no illusions as to what awaits them out on the pitch. 

“We need to be much better than we were against the Welsh,” Davids said. “We have been very honest in terms of where we think we are in various departments and how we can get better, and in every single area, a definite step up is required. 

“We have to be realistic about who we are playing this week and how we played against Wales. We revisited our performances in our prep camp and obviously that is where the training sessions were focused — on the areas that went well and those that need a lot of improvement.” 

Recently installed All Black forwards coach Jason Ryan has highlighted the Springbok maul as a key area of the match. 

“New Zealand has emphasised that stopping our maul is a priority and we know it is going to be a highly contested and physical area of this game,” Davids continued. “Their new forwards coach has done some very good work in this department with Fiji and obviously the Crusaders, but then we are also working hard on getting better in that area. 

“There is a lot of talk about how desperate New Zealand are to improve but we are also desperate to improve our game, be it the basics such as set pieces, playing in the right areas, or converting attacking opportunities. But it is also about the effort of the players — the intent of doing things was not always at the high level we would have wanted (against Wales).” 

Despite recent results, Davids pointed out that there was no room for complacency in the Bok camp as they gear up to lock horns with the old foe. 

“We are very task based in terms of our preparation for a Test match and no team is ever under-estimated, and it certainly will never be the case against New Zealand — history will tell you that our games against them are hotly contested, and we will match their desperation,” he said.