Hansen: 'Bitter Boks will bounce back'
Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:11
Kiwi brainstrust: Steve Hansen , Grahan Henry and Wayne Smith
All Black forwards coach Steve Hansen said on Sunday that a 'bitterly disappointed' Springbok team is sure to "bounce back" against the Wallabies in the next two weeks.
Hansen, speaking before New Zealand return home from Cape Town where they whitewashed South Africa 19-0 at the weekend, also commended his "young" side's performance in the pivotal Tri-Nations clash.
Considering the All Blacks are deemed to be in the midst of a "rebuilding" phase, after losing a handful of experienced players to cash-laden overseas clubs, Hansen believes his team's performances this international season are laying a solid foundation the future of All Black rugby.
"From our [management] point of view it's a great achievement," Hansen told a media gathering in Cape Town on Sunday, in light of the All Blacks' 19-0 Tri-Nations victory over the Springboks.
"It gives us a lot of confidence going forward. There's some really good young men in this group of players, and I think that bodes well for the future.
"A lot of people were writing us off. There's a lot of new players in the side and we've been under a lot of pressure as a group - so I think we've responded magnificently.
"When you've got to go to the depths we had to go to yesterday from a physical and mental point of view and to come out on the positive side of that, that certainly hastens the development of your players.
"They [the young players] know they can go to the well and keep going to the well, and that's important," Hansen added.
Hansen concurred with the view that the Springboks missed a host of attacking and scoring opportunities at Newlands, which is not necessarily a by-product of the new Experimental Law Variations [ELVs].
"I don't think it's any different under these laws [the ELVs]. I think it's always been the case in tight Test matches - if you take the opportunities you tend to come out on top.
"In this particular Test match we took ours and they [the Boks] probably didn't take the ones they had on offer, either through good scrambling defence [from the All Blacks] or them feeling the pressure of the scoreboard," he added.
The All Black forwards coach did however believe the Springboks could bounce back after their defeat in Cape Town, which would make for an interesting and competitive finale to the tournament.
"I think the Springboks will be very disappointed with themselves this morning," said Hansen.
"They'll get reminded of that all week in the paper I'm sure, and all their critics will be into them, so I don't see any problem with them getting up next week [against Australia].
"South Africa would have to win all its remaining games [to remain competitive] which I think they're likely to do.
"They play in Durban and then Johannesburg, which have been very good hunting grounds for them," he added.
Australia on the other hand should not be written off just yet, having had an equally impressive start to their international season, under new Kiwi coach Robbie Deans.
"Australia are under their own pressures as well. They haven't won away from home for 15 odd games - that's a monkey they'll want to get off their backs.
"Australia would have to win two out of three [to stand in contention of winning the title], and again there's a possibility of that so I think it's all tied up at the moment.
"Everybody's got a chance, which makes for an exciting Tri-Nations," Hansen added.
By Nick Pawson
