South Africa could be on their way home after losing to Samoa if the Springboks make the same mistakes against them as they made against Georgia, coach Rudolf Straeuli said on Monday.
The former Springbok flanker said he had not been surprised by Samoa’s impressive showing in the 35-22 loss to England on Sunday as he knew their strengths would expose the Six Nations Grand Slam champions.
”It was a very exciting game to watch and England only had it won in the 74th minute.
”While we had a feeling England could slip-up, I suddenly thought that it could be a dreadful result for us should Samoa win and England get a bonus point.
”The Samoans played brilliantly because they slung it out wide where England are weak and it paid off for a while and I guess they will try that against us as well.
”I hope they play with the same intensity as we want to be tested,” he said.
Straeuli said he had noted how the English managed to turn the tide against the islanders.
”England only started to get the upper hand when they slowed down the game and started employing their mauls and other tactics they like to use.
”However its not just because referee Jonathan Kaplan is a South African but I was impressed that for the first time the English were penalised for what I term their streetwise tactics.”
Straeuli said while he had been pleased with some aspects of the Springboks 46-19 victory over Georgia there were areas where they had to raise their game if they were to seal the deal against Samoa.
”I know how to play Samoa and that is not to say I don’t have great respect for them,” said Straeuli, who has used an astonishing 70 players in his 21 test reign.
”We just have to stick to our game-plan and improve on the number of errors that we committed against Georgia which were mainly when we threw it out wide and we got scrappy.
”There are certain players who are not yet at their peak and there are others who impressed me in that game but all in all I have the perfect headache for a coach — a selection dilemna.”
Springboks skipper Corner Krige said fitness would not be a problem for the players who had sat out the Georgia clash after the physically demanding loss to England but he said he would be looking for a vastly improved performance.
”We have to focus on our game-plan and not that of the Samoans,” said the 28-year-old Zambian-born flanker, who was paralysed down his right side at birth.
”I for one was disappointed by the way we played against Georgia and am looking for us to step up to the plate for the Samoan clash,” added Krige, who missed the 1999 World Cup because of injury. – Sapa-AFP