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Five things that could spark a Bok turnaround OPINION: The Springboks have to bounce back in Cape Town; there’s just no two ways about it. The South Africans will take on the All Blacks in the second Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at Cape Town Stadium after losing the first match 16-33 at 10Bet Ellis Park. Nobody wants the historic tour between the arch-rivals to end in a draw, least of all them, and after their defeat in the opening Test, Rassie Erasmus said the result wasn’t catastrophic and that they can still salvage the series by winning three on the trot. We look at five factors that could spark a turnaround and set the Boks on their way to chasing their first of three wins. 1. The return of Siya The captain has struggled with hamstring injuries since the start of the Test season, missing out on Saturday’s defeat to the All Blacks as well as all three Nations Championship games. He left the field just 24 minutes into his comeback Test against Argentina, and in his absence, Stormers flanker Paul de Villiers has started in four Tests at openside flank, while Pieter-Steph du Toit has had an extended run as captain. Kolisi has been confirmed for the Cape Town crunch match and will start in the place of Paul de Villiers after the double World Cup-winning captain was cleared to play on Tuesday in the most experienced team in Springbok history. While it has been a seamless transition to the Test scene for the 23-year-old Stormers star, Kolisi’s leadership could be the boost the Boks need at a time like this. The double World Cup-winning captain knows how to shoulder immense pressure, and there is bucket loads of pressure heading into the weekend. From rallying his troops after a crushing defeat to New Zealand in their opening match at the 2019 world cup in Japan and becoming the first team in history to lose a pool game and go on to win the tournament (against the team that schooled the All Blacks in the semifinals, no less), to bouncing back after a loss in the first Test of the 2021 British & Irish Lions Series and winning the series (a series in which the first Test was tainted by frustrations for the skipper and his Boks), Kolisi has stood tall in the most-high pressure situations. There have been many other pressure cooker occasions, but given the magnitude of this series, it’s not a stretch to say it’s most comparable to those two events. With the kind of pressure the Boks are under now, the inspiration and influence of Kolisi will go a long way. Continues below… 2. Boks rediscovering their confidence The Springboks’ confidence took a knock after that five-tries-to-one rout at Ellis Park, and the mental factor will be one of the most important aspects going into the second Test. They now need to put last weekend behind them and regroup, and doing the team announcement early in the week again, as opposed to last week, when the Boks only named their team on the Thursday, is a small yet significant way of showing confidence. Even if the early team announcement was more of a tactical move to redirect focus from their latest performance, it shows confidence nonetheless, and confidence, even if feigned, is something the Springboks now need both as individuals and a unit. 3. Different halfbacks Speaking of confidence, flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is arguably the player who has the most to improve on following a rusty performance in Buenos Aires after returning from injury and another substandard one at Ellis Park. Dropping him altogether would have been a huge knock to his confidence, and having him come off the bench is perhaps a more strategic way to show that he still has the backing while easing a bit of the pressure off him. Handre Pollard knows his way around big Test matches and his inclusion in the matchday squad should bring a stronger tactical compass and reliable goal-kicking, although Cheslin Kolbe kicked four out of four in the first Test. When Feinberg-Mngomezulu or Manie Libbok starts, their attacking threat always outshines any other attribute, so Pollard starting at No.10 automatically has one thinking that the Boks won’t be passing on shots at goal like they did last week. Both Libbok and Feinberg-Mngomezulu have major game-breaking ability, and in their absence (with Feinberg-Mngomezulu named on the bench and Libbok missing out altogether), that falls away from No.10. The halfbacks weren’t at their best in the opener against the All Blacks, and if just that axis can get it right on Saturday, the Boks are already in a better position. Continues below… 4. Cutting the errors, improving conversion rate, and making their attack a bigger factor The last point can’t come into effect without the first, and the Boks have lots to fix in terms of their error rate. They had no issue getting into the All Blacks’ red zone, but their execution lacked severely, with their handling errors being one of the main culprits. The Boks turned over possession 23 times and entered the opposition 22-metre area 12 times but managed only one try in that game. Awareness also lacked from the players, and a lack of support play was also noteworthy, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu caught in isolation at one stage after taking a high ball in promising field position. There was simply no continuity for the Boks as they achieved precious little on attack, and if that picture is to show any improvement, the basics need to be done better. Considering how their attack has evolved, it’s a pity that there was none of that on show in the first Test. 5. Keeping what worked The Springboks’ powerful scrum saw the All Blacks concede a handful of penalties, and while the hosts kept on turning to the set-piece without turning their advantage into points, the dominance they showed at scrum time could be golden if they manage to use it as a launch pad to cause real damage. With scrum master Wilco Louw and Ox Nche starting again this weekend and the experienced Thomas du Toit and Gerhard Steenekamp included on the bench to provide sustained pressure at the scrum, there’s no chance of the Bok scrum pressure letting up this time around. Now they just need to make sure they have something to show for it. 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