Coetzee proud of Springboks revival
Allister Coetzee believes South Africa have put their recent demons behind them after securing an unassailable 2-0 lead over France on Saturday.
The Springboks won just four of their 12 matches in 2016 to place Coetzee's position under huge pressure.
He was given a vote of confidence by South Africa Rugby, though, and they are two wins from two in 2017 - the latest a 37-15 triumph over Les Bleus in Durban.
Tries from Jan Serfontein, Siya Kolisi, Coenie Oosthuizen and Elton Jantjies sealed that win, meaning South Africa have a 2-0 lead with one Test still to play.
Coetzee was delighted with what he saw at Kings Park Rugby Stadium and feels the Springboks have finally turned a corner.
"I am very proud of the way the team has grown, this is a different feeling from nine months ago. This was an outstanding performance, but there is still a lot of work to do," said the coach.
"I am proud of our set piece and proud of the attack, but in particular the way we defended.
"The team plays for each other and that was shown in the defence tonight. They do it for each other. The system does not tackle, the players in the system needs to make the tackle. The reaction time of players, to get back on their feet and to get back in the position again, that was very rewarding to see."
But Coetzee will not let his side rest on their laurels as he targets a series whitewash in the third Test at Ellis Park next weekend.
He added: "Every test match is a must win for us. The series is won, but there is no relief. Every match is as important as the next. We will keep trying to improve."
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The prem games this season have mainly been great to watch , with the exception of Sale. So boring and predictable.
Let's have more of Bristol, Bath , Quins etc style of play.
Rugby needs expansive play to put more bums on seats . Not the dirge of rolling forward mauls constantly trying to bully their way over the line.
It has its place yes to draw the defence but the fans want to see more running rugby . Not win at any cost and sod the entertainment .
So Borthwick should drop Marcus Smith? He's the odd one out, forcing the rest of the English backline into a gameplay they don't know. Replacing him with Fin or Ford makes everyone more likely to succeed.
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