Boks to prepare for French backlash

Cape Town - The Springboks will continue to focus on their own processes and fundamentals during the build-up to the final Castle Lager Incoming Series match against France on Saturday, but Springbok coach Allister Coetzee warned his team to expect a backlash from the visitors at Emirates Airline Park.

The Boks arrived in Johannesburg on Sunday evening and resumed their preparations for the final match of the series against the French on Monday morning.

Coetzee said although the series is already won, he will resist the temptation to make wholesale changes, adding that the match would be an opportunity to build capacity in certain positions.

“There won’t be wholesale changes for Saturday,” Coetzee explained during his media briefing on Monday at the team’s hotel in Fourways.

“We know that France will be playing for pride and we are preparing for a huge backlash. We need to improve in a few areas, and so will need to retain the combinations that worked nicely, and maintain our continuity.

“The fact that we have won the series won’t influence our approach to the match. We will continue to work on our processes because there’s still a lot of work to be done. I am however pleased with the progress and the effort of the players in the previous two matches.”