'Overplayed' Boks can build on this win
Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:41
Peter de Villiers: 'We are on the same page' (c) Gallo
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers admitted that some of his senior players are "overplayed", but felt his team can build on their first Tri-Nations victory of the year.
Lock Victor Matfield got the perfect 100-cap present as South Africa ended a losing streak by defeating Australia 44-31 in a seven-try thriller in Pretoria.
De Villiers admitted he was a worried man after the opening exchanges - as Australia raced into a 14-0 lead after four minutes, the 21-7 and had scored four tries in 26 minutes (to lead 28-17).
"I was worried when we gave them those tries, especially in the state we were in, the confidence being low," the Springbok coach said in his post-match reaction.
"So to give them a start like that it took really a lot of heart and character to come back and win a game a like this."
The Bok coach also spoke of the team's character, to bounce back and secure a win that ended the Springbok centurion curse - with Matfield becoming the first Bok to win in his 100th Test, after Percy Montgomery and John Smit lost in their centenary Tests.
"I think the guys wanted to do it for themselves, do it for Victor and do it for their country," De Villiers said, adding: "So that on its own was obviously enough motivation for them to go out there and play.
"They felt bad at half-time, but they weren't down.
"They knew that they messed up in the first half, but they also believed they could still do it and you saw the turnaround after that.
"That [guts] is what the team is made up of.
"I think now we can build on this game, use it as a foundation, working towards the World Cup."
He admitted that they will need to manage some of the senior players better in the coming week, as they look towards their final Tri-Nations Test - against the Wallabies in Bloemfontein next Saturday.
He dismissed the notion that there was fitness issues in the team.
"There is nothing wrong with the fitness," the Bok coach said, adding: "Most of them have over 2000 playing minutes for the year.
"Yes, they are a bit overplayed.
"The accumulation of all those minutes [playing and training in the Super 14 and Tests] get to the legs, so we need to manage them."