By Nick Said
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South Africa will continue to evolve their game-plan and add more attacking strings to their bow ahead of the defence of their Rugby World Cup title in France later this year, coach Jacques Nienaber said on Wednesday.
The Springboks were noticeably more attacking with ball in hand in the autumn internationals at the end of 2022, which included narrow defeats by Ireland and France, and wins over Italy and England.
The side were roundly criticised for being one-dimensional and too reliant on a territorial kicking game in the wake of their 2019 World Cup win in Japan, but Nienaber says they are learning new ways to pick opponents apart.
“We must not be arrogant and say because we won a World Cup in 2019, if we do the same things we will win it again. You have to change, adapt and evolve. Last season was big for us in terms of that,” Nienaber told reporters.
“The team has embraced the changes we have made. You have to make sure you stay creative otherwise other teams will catch up to you.”
The Boks lost five of their 13 tests in 2022, considered a below-par year, but with Nienaber having widened the player pool extensively, he says it was necessary ahead of the World Cup after the side remained idle for 20 months following their World Cup win due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those defeats included a first ever home loss to Wales after Nienaber made 18 changes to the match-day squad from the team that won the first test of the series.
“It was 100% the right decision. It sounds funny, but failure is a way of evolving and developing. When you start learning to ride a bike, no-one just gets on and goes, you have to fall a few times to learn,” he said.
“If you just bat for your own win percentages, you don’t make those changes. Then guys like (wings) Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie would not have had an opportunity.
“While winning will always be our main goal, squad development and getting experience into players was a big drive last year.”
The Boks play a truncated three-game Rugby Championship and take on Wales and New Zealand in warm-up games ahead of the World Cup.
They have been pooled with Ireland, Scotland, Tonga and Romania in France.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
