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Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber. Photo: Armand Hough/ANA.

Springboks: Four big takeaways from Jacques Nienaber’s first press conference

The four main talking points from Springboks boss Jacques Nienaber’s press conference in Cape Town.

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Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber. Photo: Armand Hough/ANA.

Springboks boss Jacques Nienaber had his first press conference of this all-important season in Cape Town on Wednesday. Here are the main talkings points. 

The Springboks have kick started their preparations for the 2023 Test season, which includes a truncated Rugby Championship (July) and a World Cup campaign (September-October). Those two tournaments will be played either side of three Test friendlies (August).

In a wide-ranging press conference in Cape Town on Wednesday, Nienaber touched on various aspects of their preparation for the looming Test season, including but not limited to player-management, player-development, the composition of his squads for the Rugby Championship and World Cup and how there’s no place for complacency in the Springbok set-up.

REVEALED: When the Springboks’ World Cup squad will be named

THE BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM WHAT SPRINGBOKS COACH NIENABER HAD TO SAY:

NO PLAYER is guaranteed of World Cup spot

“The biggest mistake players, the media and supporters can make is to look at the names of players and you assume ‘ok so those guys are in the World Cup squad’. No, these camps are for a reason and the biggest reason for the current one is a lot of these players (the 14 players that’s in this camp) haven’t had a break from rugby since before the British and Irish Lions tour because of how the schedules are working. We’re just trying to manage the northern hemisphere club competition schedule and the southern hemisphere international competition schedule. 

“In terms of questions if players in camp are the chosen ones, and if that means that the other players are not going to be part of the World Cup squad, the answer is no. The squad we’re looking at, the players that we’re monitoring and whose form we are tracking are around 60.”

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Form can influence RWC selection: Door open Bok bolters outside the monitored 60-player pot

“Form can definitely influence selection. Take Herschel in 2019 as an example, he wasn’t on our radar in 2018 but through performance he got himself into the World Cup,” Nienaber said.

“If you look at the players we have used over the last two years, you’ll probably get an idea of who is in the mix. But form can definitely influence selection. Performance will definitely help more than (a player) not performing.”

Springboks can’t afford arrogance

“We mustn’t get arrogant and think that if we do the same things that we did in 2019, we will win the World Cup again. That’s arrogance. You have to change, adapt and evolve. Last year was big for us in terms of that.”

“It’s a process. We got to grips with the changes that we wanted at the back end of the season.”

“You probably start those changes on training fields, without pressure of winning or losing,” Nienaber explained. “Then you want your change to come through in a Test match, where your country’s name is at stake. That takes time. It’s more of a mental development.”

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Does the Springboks have the greatest flyhalf depth? Nienaber thinks so

“When we sat this time last year, it was a big topic of conversation. I think we are fortunate in that regard.

“Due to things that happened and injuries and stuff like that — Handre getting injured earlier last year in the international season — we were forced to go to other routes, which we were always comfortable doing,” the Springbok coach explained.

“A guy like Damian taking over, or playing flyhalf for us; Frans Steyn was always there and was a guy that can play flyhalf for us…

“So, I think that we’ve got good depth there. If you look at any country, if they go down to their third flyhalf, every country is going to have a drop in quality… you’re lucky if it’s not like that.

“We are probably in a fortunate position now that we’ve got some really quality 10s available for selection.”

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Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber and conditioning boss Andy
Jacques Nienaber and Andy Edwards. Photo: Gallo Images.