Teams reading Boks' playbook but there could be good news on kicking front

Beating the Springboks at their own game is not a widely-shared experience but assistant coach Deon Davids concedes teams are finding ways to subdue their upfront grunt.

The Springboks experienced significant pushback from Ireland in the scrums and the mauls, while their line-out was not the tower of strength they have become used to in their 19-16 defeat in Dublin on Saturday.

The Bok pack not having things their own way is tantamount, in South African parlance, to them being “touched on their studio”.

“We didn't get the dominance we wanted,” bristled burly tighthead Frans Malherbe.

Davids lamented that the Boks were building momentum among their forwards before the tour.

“Last weekend we faced different challenges.

“Teams are applying different strategies and we need to be aware of them,” Davids conceded.

Sure, Ireland applied a spoiling hand here and there in the line-out, but the Bok maul was just about emasculated.

Davids believes maul traction will return. “With some tweaks here and there we can get back to the results we want.”

Doing so is easier said than done without the force of Duane Vermeulen who has been rested for this tour. His absence from the Bok maul denies them his organisational wherewithal and some good honest pluck and grunt. Davids explained it usually falls to Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth to organise their human caterpillar.

“His execution in terms of that with the experience he's build up is good for any team,” said Davids.

The Lions discovered that in the United Rugby Championship when they were mauled back in a recent home defeat by a Vermeulen inspired Ulster.

Davids though, had to give hope.

“A lot of players also grew in that situation,” he pointed out. “Players like Jasper [Wiese] and Kwagga [Smith] you can see are improving in terms of that. That's why in a World Cup you have to have a good squad. We lost a player like Lood [de Jager] now and if you don't allow players to grow you'll never know.”

De Jager's loss is a significant one for the Boks.

“There is no timeline for Lood,” Davids said about the lock's potential recovery time. “He went for further consultation. He's a quality player but we have experienced campaigners in Franco [Mostert] and Marvin [Orie]. They are quite capable.”

They are both likely to feature in the squad for Saturday's clash against France in Marseille.

So too, possibly, flyhalf Manie Libbok. He is likely to take his place among the substitutes to give the Boks additional firepower off the kicking tee. Their placekicking cost them dearly against Ireland and it is not worth taking the same risk against the Six Nations champions.  

Davids intimated part of the forwards' foibles can be put down to a deviation from script.

“There were a lot of lessons in the game. When we decide on a specific plan and how we want to execute it is important that there is huge alignment.

“When something goes astray in that plan we have to regroup and adapt to that situation. In this game it didn't happen as clearly as we wanted to.”

The Boks will name their team to play the Tricolores on Tuesday.

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