Siya Kolisi says the Springboks’ set pieces and defence will have to be good if they are to beat France in Paris on Saturday.
The Boks are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 12-11 loss to England at Twickenham.
‘We don’t want to dwell in the past, but we feel that we lost the game last week because of our lack of execution,’ Kolisi said on Friday. ‘We feel like we lost it to ourselves, and this week it’s about making sure we play with the same intensity and purpose, but obviously with better finishing.’
While the Boks have won their last six matches against France, the Bok captain said he was expecting a ‘tough’ encounter.
‘They now have a new team and will be fresh, plus they’re welcoming back a few players who’ve returned from injuries. So we are looking forward to another strong challenge, especially from their big physical pack of forwards.
‘They scrum and maul very well and we will have to make sure that our set pieces are very good. And they also have some good game-breakers who can create something out of nothing, so our defence must be good.’
Kolisi said he believed the Boks were heading in the right direction despite two narrow losses to the All Blacks and England.
‘We can see what is working and we know we have to execute better and get those wins.’
VOTE NOW: 2018 Fans’ Choice Awards
Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix