The Springboks conceded 22 tries across five Test matches during their southern hemisphere season, IOL Sport reported. The figures point to problems the team must fix before the Nations Championship in November.
That is an average of more than four tries a game. According to the report, the Boks also missed 129 tackles in the series against New Zealand, while the All Blacks missed 99.
South Africa still won the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks. The season also included a Test against the Wallabies in Perth.
IOL Sport said head coach Rassie Erasmus and his coaching staff would not be fully happy with the team’s play over the last few months. The double World Cup champions now head north to face Italy, France and Ireland.
The report said opposition attackers often found space around the edges of the Springbok defence. The team had to lean heavily on scramble defence to stop tries in the wide channels.
Scramble efforts saved several scores, according to the report. It said the defensive system run by coach Jerry Flannery must restore its connections before November.
The Springbok attack also struggled to turn chances into points inside the opposition 22. Across the All Blacks series, New Zealand scored 17 tries while South Africa scored 14.
The All Blacks made 35 line-breaks to the Boks’ 28. New Zealand also scored 3.5 points for each visit to the 22, compared to 2.6 points for South Africa.
IOL Sport said the counter-attack improved in the match in Baltimore. Still, it was the team’s direct carrying and power game that helped them edge the series, the report said.
According to the report, the Boks need more points from their many 22 entries. These often come from scrum and maul penalties, but some ended in turnovers instead of tries.
The lineout worked well against New Zealand. South Africa lost just two lineouts on their own throw and forced eight turnovers on the All Blacks’ throw.
The set piece was less steady against Australia in Perth. IOL Sport said the absence of hooker Malcolm Marx exposed problems with the throwing. The Boks also did little to contest the Wallabies’ lineout in that match.
The report said the team must find consistency at hooker before the Nations Championship. It said the Boks need a player who can match the impact Marx brings to the lineout.
Erasmus and his management team have about a month to work on these areas. The Springboks play Italy, France and Ireland in the Nations Championship in November.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.