Allister Coetzee wants bench players to come out with intensity

South Africa coach Allister Coetzee wants the reserve players to come out and absorb the intensity in the third and final Test against Ireland in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

In the second half of the Johannesburg Test, South Africa made as many as eight changes as they staged an incredible comeback after being 3-19 down and went on to win by 32-26.

It was the replacements Ruan Combrinck and Warren Whiteley, who initiated the turnaround with tries in the 55th and 63rd minute respectively, after which Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende scored a try each to help South Africa level the series 1-1.

Despite, being impressed with the performance of the bench players in the series, Coetzee urged the Springboks to begin the game well and to provide the platform for the reserve players to up the ante.

“When they do come off the bench I would like them to keep giving us that impact,” Coetzee said after naming his team on Thursday. “(But) the players who start, it’s not just (about) absorbing... we would like to see that we start well, much better than the previous Test.

“We must get it right from the start and when we do introduce the bench, we should really up the ante in the last stanza of the game and hopefully we can see that combination working in tandem this week. But it’s important for us to play with that physical intensity from the word go.”

Coetzee also cited the example of scrum-half Faf de Klerk, who made his international debut in the first Test of the series and has impressed.

“If you looked at the way Faf de Klerk started his first Test in Cape Town. He was not overawed. He accepted and embraced all challenges and he really had a good game.

“They (the potential debutants) must just play from whistle to whistle and forget about everything else. Know your job and do your job. That’s important for any new cap that steps up... to contribute. He’s got a role to play and he must be able to execute that role.”

After their heroics in the previous game, the Springboks coach has included Combrinck and Whiteley in the starting XV for the Saturday’s encounter which leaves hooker Bongi Mbonambi, prop Steven Kitshoff and flanker Jaco Kriel as the potential debutants named on the bench.