Matfield predicts quick Springbok turnaround

Reuters

QUICK CHANGE: Victor Matfield believes the Springboks will be quickly back on their game to tackle the All Blacks in Wellington.

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Springboks lock and vice captain Victor Matfield believes it won't take much to turn around last weekend's 32-12 loss at Eden Park into a victory in Wellington on Saturday.

The defeat in Auckland ended South Africa's stranglehold over the All Blacks and it was a test where South Africa came second in almost every facet, however Matfield, who will play his 23rd game against the All Blacks on Saturday, believes the Springboks aren't far away from where they want to be.

"They [All Blacks] did a lot of things right [in the first test]," said Matfield.

"But I must say, we also weren't there 100 percent. We were probably about 97 and we know in these games if you're 1-2 percent off your game, you will get smashed. And that's what happened.

"Hopefully we can be there 100 percent this week and then hopefully it will be a better test match."

One area where the Springboks will look to return to their usual dominant ways is in the lineouts and Matfield admitted it didn't go well with John Smit throwing into the set piece at Eden Park.

"We've got a good relationship and he knows how I feel about the lineout," Matfield said of his captain.

"But it's a team effort. Contesting-wise, we were too slow to get to the lineout. We weren't organised quick enough. They took a lot of quick lineouts, which we knew they would do, and they got away with it.

"Hopefully this week we'll be there earlier, better prepared and we'll get in there.

"We all know how we play. We won't go away from that," he added.

"We're a team that likes to put pressure on the other team, to really strangle them.

"Because we weren't there and we weren't quick enough off our line, we couldn't do that. We gave them space and time and they penalised us for that."

Meanwhile, Springboks first-five Morne Steyn says he's confident that there won't be a repeat of the disappointment suffered last weekend.

"I think the whole team is ready for this week," he said.

"We know it wasn't the best week that we wanted.

"We don't want to take it as an excuse but I think the guys are more comfortable in New Zealand now and the training and everything has been well."

Last weekend the Springboks were reliant on strong kicking game. It was a tactic that worked for them last year, but with the new law interpretations the game has moved on and it could be said that keeping the ball in hand is now more effective and the Springboks' style of play has become old fashioned.

However, Steyn believes the Springboks should continue in the manner that proved so successful for them in last year's Tri Nations.

"We played the same type of rugby last year in the Tri-Nations and it worked for us so we don't want to change the whole game plan now that we lose one game," he said.

"We'll stick to our kicking game and what we do but we just want to give the guys outside a little bit more."

"There's nothing to be changed now that we lost. Just the small things we have to be 100 percent and concentrate on the kicks to be more specific and on target."

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