Ross Roche

By Ross Roche

Senior sports writer


De Allende confident Bok backs will execute better in Wales decider

De Allende believes the challenge brought by the Bok back-up players will assist the team massively going forward.


The Springbok backline will be looking for better execution when they take on Wales in the third Test decider at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Over the two matches so far the Boks have managed to score four tries, all of them coming in the first game, with three coming from rolling mauls and just one from the backline.

Bok inside centre Damian de Allende was heavily involved in that score, putting in a superb grubber for wing Cheslin Kolbe to race onto and dot down, and he says fans can expect more action from the backline if they can just shore up their execution.

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“I think we are getting to where we want to on the field. But it’s just those small fine margins of execution that are costing us. So I feel if we get that right we will be in a strong position (on Saturday),” said De Allende.

“The excitement and hunger is still there but sometimes we can get a bit overeager and try a bit too hard.

“But the effort is there and if we can execute the way we want to execute on Saturday we can take a lot of confidence from that and hopefully build on that in the match.”

De Allende rubbishes ‘B’ team talk

With an experimental Bok team just edged by Wales in the second Test, and with most of the first Test players retaking their place for the final Test, De Allende believes the challenge brought by the Bok back-up players will assist the team massively going forward.

“I know a lot of people in the media said we played a ‘B’ team last week, but all of those guys who played deserved their spot in that team,” claimed De Allende.

“If you look at a guy like Andre (Esterhuizen) in the Premier Rugby Championship he was flippen exceptional and it was lovely to watch him (back in a Bok jersey).

“I think it is very healthy for a squad to get as much competition as it can and I think sometimes that the guys behind you in the squad push you to carry on improving your own personal game.”

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