Deon Davids has his fingers crossed the Springboks can avoid a lock crisis this season, as Mzwandile Stick warns that the world champions cannot afford to “be comfortable”, reports DEVIN HERMANUS.
Speaking at a Bok conference ahead of the first national alignment camp in Cape Town next week, assistant coach Davids acknowledged last year’s struggles in the second row and is hopeful for a smoother campaign.
“We had challenges at lock and hooker last year,” he said. “A lot of the injured guys are on track now, but I’m sitting here with my fingers crossed.
“Lood [de Jager] and Franco [Mostert] are doing well in Japan, and locally, Ruan [Nortje] and Salmaan [Moerat] stepped up when Eben [Etzebeth] was unavailable. We are fortunate to have that depth.”
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With the Boks set to play 15 Tests in 2025, kicking off against Italy and Georgia in July, maintaining consistency will be crucial.
Meanwhile, Stick stressed that the top-ranked Boks can’t become complacent and must keep evolving to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
“It would be stupid of us to be comfortable where we are,” the backline tactician said. “We should always review our game and how we do things.
“Remember, it was our first year with Tony [Brown] and Jerry [Flannery] in our team. Winning 11 out of 13 games and losing two by one point shows we are on the right track, but we must go back to the drawing board to keep improving.
“I know one thing for sure – teams will work hard to catch us. We can’t be comfortable.”
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A key boost for the Boks is the return of Felix Jones, who brings fresh insights from his time with England. Stick believes his presence, alongside Brown, will sharpen the team’s tactical edge.
“Tony is working hard to ensure we evolve as a team. Felix knows the northern hemisphere teams well, and having both those brains will help us improve.”
Davids echoed Stick’s sentiment that staying ahead requires constant self-analysis and collaboration within the coaching team.
“You must be critical of where you are and where you can go. The ideas and knowledge shared among the coaches can only assist the team.
“I do the attacking and defensive analysis from a lineout perspective, but then sit with the team leaders to decide the best plan.
“You can’t be boxed in with one technical thing – you must see the whole picture. That’s how we outsmart opponents and why we continue to improve.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images