Boks urged to try, try and try again in deciding Test against Wales

The Springboks have laboured in attack in three of the four halves they have played thus far in the three-Test series against Wales.

Their inability to regularly and conclusively breach the Wales defence, apart from the second half of the Loftus Test, has contributed to the stalemate scenario ahead of the decisive final Test in Cape Town on Saturday.

Last weekend's 13-12 defeat in Bloemfontein wasn't just hard to swallow because it was Wales' first win over the Boks in SA, it was rendered unpalatable because the hosts failed to score a try.

They had not gone tryless at home since they beat Australia 18-10 at Loftus Versfeld in 2016. Allister Coetzee's team got the job done then thanks to four penalties and two drop goals from Morne Steyn.

They have the personnel to change that.

Pace and explosiveness

In Springbok No 911 they have a player who evokes notions of speed and danger. Cheslin Kolbe's thrust and manoeuvrability makes marking him a perilous exercise but there is also a growing number of fans living in fervent hope those qualities are better used by the Boks.

“Hopefully, we will see a few tries, but it’s not just going to happen, a lot of hard work is going to have to go into it,” said Kolbe at the team's base this week outside Hermanus.

No time for whale watching then. The Boks have a series win over Wales firmly in their view finder but they will have to find ways of breaking down the tourists' well organised defence.

Their time-honoured way of achieving that is to deliver unrelenting body blows up front, which leaves the opposition open to foibles and folly which are gleefully seized upon by their spring-heeled three-quarters.

Principal predator

Kolbe has been one of the team's principal predators but he recognises the virtues of collective grunt.

“We have amazing backline players and amazing forwards as well. It is definitely a team effort. There is a plan in place of what the coaches expect from us, and as a team we just need to make sure that we implement that the best we can.

“Of course, we all want to run with the ball and get one-on-one opportunities, and those moments will definitely come as long as we put in the hard work that we get from our forwards. That will make us as backline players look like superstars but, mainly, all the hard work is done upfront and we just need to implement the plan we have worked out on Saturday,” said Kolbe.

Given what transpired in Bloemfontein, Bok fans will demand a win in the deciding Test, but they'll also hope Kolbe and Co are instrumental in achieving it.