Smit Wants an End to Silly Mistakes
South Africa's rugby captain, John Smit, says he wants to see an end to the silly mistakes that cost the side during the first match against New Zealand.
South Africa's performance was marked by basic unforced errors that provided New Zealand with chances to score. The experienced captain says that these must be cut out of South Africa's play if the side want to create a tighter and stronger unit.
There was not too much between the teams during the first game despite the fact that the score line said the opposite. The All Blacks were just a little bit sharper in various areas, which gave the more chances to score vital points.
Smit wants South Africa to bounce back in style and there are likely to be one or two tweaks to the line up for the second game. These tweaks will see fresh faces coming into the team who will be chomping at the bit to make a rampant impression.
Unforced Errors
Unforced errors cost any side in any form of sport. They take the pressure off of the opposition and they can undo any good work, which has been building up over the course of a match or contest.
South Africa were guilty of many basic errors during the first Tri Nations match. They gave the ball away far too easily and players were lunging in for tackles that they had virtually no chance of winning.
On the one hand it would have been encouraging for the captain to see his side so up for the contest, but on the other hand it would have been frustrating that they seemed to let the occasion get to their heads. Keeping in mind that South Africa beat New Zealand three times in a row when the sides last met.
Smit said: "You take a look at the game again and everywhere else we were pretty good. It was probably the least amount of penalties we've conceded in a Test match for quite some time."
Fresh Faces
There will be a one or two changes to the way that South Africa line up for the second match between these two countries. They could opt to bring in a youthful player but this would not satisfy Smit's calls to cut out silly mistakes.
The better option seems to be bringing in someone with some more international experience and someone who may have played against New Zealand before. They will be able to settle down into the play very quickly and have an influence across the team.
Smit added: "You don't want to see incidents like Botha's. It's disappointing for us as a team and it's been dealt with and it's been just reward for silly behaviour."
Advice
South Africa are capable of beating any other side in the world in any match regardless of past form or circumstances. This means that if you have a feeling that they are going to bounce back in style then don't be afraid to back them to do so. However, keep in mind the way that the Kiwis played on their own turf.
The coach is keeping his cards close to his chest in terms of the players who will come into the side if there are one or two changes. This will make it difficult for you to work out who they are and whether they are worth backing. Your best bet here is to wait until the game starts and then bet in-play. You will be able to see the early pattern of the match and then work from that point.
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