Resilience, substitutes won it for Boks - Coetzee

Resilience, substitutes won it for Boks - Coetzee

JOHANNESBURG - New South Africa coach Allister Coetzee hailed the resilience of his team and the impact of the replacements after a dramatic 32-26 second Test triumph over Ireland Saturday.

South African hooker Adriaan Strauss(L) tries to pass Ireland Tadhg Furlong (R) during the second Rugby Test match at Ellis Park on June 18, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa

Trailing by 16 points with 16 minutes left, the Springboks scored three unanswered tries to level the series at one win each and set up a winners-take-all final Test in Port Elizabeth next Saturday.

Ireland were superior for most the international at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg before fading with Coetzee admitting the 1,750-metre (5,750 feet) altitude was a factor.

"One of our core values is resilience and that showed tonight. We were in a very deep hole and had to dig our way out.

"We will become a good team. Tonight was a building block," stressed the former Western Stormers Super Rugby coach who made his Springbok debut in a shock 26-20 loss to Ireland last weekend.

"The squad has been together for only 20 days and this comeback showed how much we can achieve. The potential is there.

"The impact from the bench was massive -- the replacements turned it round for us. This team is not about 15 players, but rather all 23."

Two of the four second-half Springbok tries were scored by substitutes with winger Ruan Combrinck getting the first and loose forward Warren Whiteley the second.

Coetzee blamed ill discipline and over eagerness for the concession of a string of first-half penalties with Ireland fly-half Paddy Jackson slotting four in a row to help create a 19-3 half-time lead.

"Not only did we concede points through a lack of discipline -- being penalised repeatedly broke our rhythm.

"Ireland have a vastly experienced team, especially the backline. We lacked that experience and developing combinations takes time.

"While we are delighted with the result today the series still has to be won so we start from scratch on Monday."

Appointed in April as the second black coach after Peter de Villiers of the once all-white Springboks, 53-year-old Coetzee also praised new skipper Adriaan Strauss.

"His leadership during the difficult moments of the match proved crucial and I am pleased in many ways that we are starting to think on the same wavelength."

Strauss said he never believed the Test was a lost cause, even when Jackson converted a try by No.8 Jamie Heaslip to give the Irish a 26-10 advantage.

"We kept believing in the process and taking it one step at a time. We realised we had to play much better in the second half and we did."

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT