Despite coming off back-to-back defeats to Ireland and France, the Springboks are happy with their progress on tour going into their final two games against Italy and England. DYLAN JACK reports.

The defeat to France in Marseille means that the Springboks – if South Africa A’s loss to Munster is included – are zero for three on their 2022 Outgoing Tour.

While the losses to the number one and two sides in the world were narrow, the Boks have still come under fire for their win percentage against tier-one opposition under Jacques Nienaber.

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The suggestion that the Boks are happy to sacrifice results for progress with the 2023 World Cup in mind was scoffed at by assistant coach Deon Davids, during a press conference on Monday.

“We play to win every Test match,” Davids said. “If you look at the effort from the players in the last two games, there was always a drive to get a good result.

“Our approach for Italy and England will be exactly the same, no matter who wears the jersey. We will go into these games to win them.”

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Davids, who was joined in the press conference by Salmaan Moerat, hinted that the young second rower could be among the players to get a shot at Italy in Genoa on Saturday.

“We have got a lot of answers in the past couple of games, both from selection and players’ point of view. We will continue with that specific process.

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“For example, Salmaan’s presence is an indication that he will be taking part, whether he is part of the starting lineup or on the bench. This is part of our vision for the World Cup. We have great belief in the players, but also have lots of respect for Italy. We want to continue seeking answers but want better rewards against Italy.”

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