Deon Davids warns the Springboks' dominant pack has not yet reached its full potential in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
Forwards coach Deon Davids says the Springbok pack’s set-piece work is paying off after months of preparation, but insists there is still room for improvement before Saturday’s series-deciding fourth Test against the All Blacks in Baltimore.
The Springboks lead Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test Series 2-1 with one more game to go. But while the All Blacks have outscored them 13 tries to eight, it was South Africa’s forward dominance at the set-pieces which laid the foundation for them to win two of the three Tests played so far.
Speaking from the Springboks’ base in Baltimore, Davids explained that early squad rotation helped build depth ahead of the crucial Test series.
“At the start we have given a lot of players an opportunity,” he told reporters on Thursday night.
That approach, he explained, allowed combinations and cohesion to develop gradually across the squad.
“Going into the series we understood that it’s going to be very important for us to have a good set piece. The hard work that we have been putting into the scrums… is starting to show now,” he added.
Despite recent results, Davids emphasised the Springboks remain far from a finished product.
“We continuously are evaluating our systems, our individual effort and our effort as a pack of forwards,” he said. “We will continue to strive to improve in order to find a better cohesion with our attack and with our defence.”
Davids also lauded the Bok front rowers for adapting to challenging weather conditions during last weekend’s win in Soweto.
“There was winds from different angles all over the field,” he explained. “I must commend them in terms of how they executed and read their conditions,” Davids said.
The Springboks ultimately achieved a perfect lineout success rate despite the swirling conditions at FNB Stadium. That execution helped set up Malcolm Marx’s crucial second-half maul try during the match.
Davids credited the squad’s varied provincial backgrounds and the Bok management’s relationship with the franchise coaches for strengthening its overall rugby intelligence.
“We’ve got a lot of experience in the pack and we’ve got a lot of players coming from different franchises,” he said. “We always try to learn from each other, share ideas.”
With South Africa leading the series 2-1 and the Bok forwards already wielding dominance over their All Blacks counterparts, Davids insistence that there’s room for improvement up front sounds ominous for any Test side with plans to dethrone the Springboks as world champions and the No 1 ranking.
Source: The South African
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