Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said the Springboks aim to win Sunday’s clash in Edinburgh inside the first 20 minutes, or risk being punished by a ‘X factor’ Scotland side.
Speaking during a Bok conference in the Scottish capital on Saturday, Stick emphasised that the Boks are fully prepared for this week’s challenge at Murrayfield.
“According to [the information] we’ve got from management, it’s going to be a beautiful day, a dry day. But I don’t think the weather conditions will change how we want to play the game,” he affirmed.
Stick is confident in their approach but remains wary of Scotland’s defensive efforts: “We are well prepared, but we also know on the other side, Scotland will try and stop us from implementing our plan.”
Stick also highlighted that the Boks aren’t focused solely on the last stretch of the game but aim to set the tone from the outset.
“It’s going to be a tough game, like I said, it’s always tough playing Scotland at Murrayfield. For us, the focus is not only on the last 20 or 10 minutes; we want to start well and make sure we implement and execute our plan,” he explained.
EBEN’S WARNING: Scotland no pushovers
Stick believes that setting the pace early could prove decisive: “If we can win the game from the first 20 minutes… the team that can start well will probably have the chance to keep that momentum. We don’t want to wait until the last minutes of the game.”
With Scotland’s strengths in mind, Stick acknowledged the potential threat posed by the home side’s key players and coaching.
“They’ve got guys on the other side – they’ve got Duhan [van der Merwe], [Sione] Tuipulotu, guys with the X factor. If you switch off against them, they will punish you. They’ve got a coaching staff that’s very creative with how they want to go about their plans,” Stick warned.
He knows that mental readiness is critical in handling Scotland’s fast-paced, ball-in-hand style: “In all my experience against them at Murrayfield… the last game we played against them here was a hustle in the first half, it was always going to be tough.
“Hopefully we can start well but otherwise, [players] from 1 to 23 have got a role to play.”
Photo: RvS.Media/Sylvie Failletaz/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
