In the spirit of Irish Rugby
Ireland's 19-13 win over England in the Six Nations rugby clash at Twickenham on Saturday was an early wake-up call for the Springboks.
The South Africans will have to find someone to stop Brian O'Driscoll at inside centre
Allister Coetzee, assistant coach of the Springboks, said although he is excited about the local talent in the Super 12 series, a lot of work still has to be done if South African backs want to play in the same league as the All Blacks, the Wallabies, England, Wales and Ireland.
"We make too many basic mistakes - that is probably the main reason why no South African team could win a match in the Super 12 this past weekend. Our players must start thinking on their feet," Coetzee said
"Jake White and I meet in Cape Town on Monday and we already have plans for our backs. Although we would never have had any nightmares about Ireland four or five years ago, the Irish win over England was an eye-opener."
White was in England for a few days and watched the Six Nations clash between Ireland and England. Coetzee said he had always thought the Tri Nations series was the barometer for world rugby. However, Ireland's victory over the world champions has proved him wrong. |