Jake demands tighter Bok defence

Jake White believes the Springboks must fix their defence and finish stronger if they are to beat the All Blacks in Saturday’s series decider in Johannesburg.

South Africa have conceded nine tries in the opening two Tests, and the former Bok coach says their defensive problems cannot only be blamed on the players.

“I think they would admit that if you leak nine tries in two Test matches, it would not be something to be proud of,” the World Cup-winning coach said on the OmniRugby show on eNCA.

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“Under Jacques Nienaber, we were considered the best defensive team in the world. It’s not through personnel. We’ve got the same players – Damian [de Allende] and Jesse [Kriel] at centre, Cheslin [Kolbe] on the wing, Ethan Hooker on the wing. The point is they’re good defenders. It wasn’t like we had holes because of different personnel or we didn’t have the same combinations,” White added.

The series is delicately poised at 1-1 going into the FNB Stadium after the All Blacks won 33-16 at Ellis Park before the Springboks hit back with a 33-26 victory in Cape Town.

White believes South Africa must also address their second-half performances, having been outscored after the break in both Tests.

“In both the first and second Test [the Boks] have been beaten, so they’ll need to find a way to finish stronger.”

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Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

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