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Jones has done great job with England: Coetzee

By AFP
Africa Coach Allister Coetzee, pictured on September 10, 2016, allayed fears among South African supporters and media that a team which has won only four of nine Tests this year face a thrashing at Twickenham.  By Patrick Hamilton AFPFile
OCT 23, 2016 LISTEN
Coach Allister Coetzee, pictured on September 10, 2016, allayed fears among South African supporters and media that a team which has won only four of nine Tests this year face a thrashing at Twickenham. By Patrick Hamilton (AFP/File)

Johannesburg (AFP) - Struggling South Africa coach Allister Coetzee praised high-riding England and their coach Eddie Jones Sunday ahead of a November 12 Test showdown in London.

"I have studied all the England Tests in Australia last June and they played really well," said the Springbok handler as he summarised a 3-0 series triumph for the visitors.

"They focused on a few areas and got better as the tour progressed," he told a media conference in Johannesburg as the national squad gathered for a four-match tour of Europe during November.

"Eddie has done a great job," Coetzee said of Australia-born England coach Eddie Jones, who took charge when Stuart Lancaster quit after the 2015 Rugby World Cup hosts made a first-round exit.

"There is a lot of belief in the team and they have a monstrous and very physical pack. They are also very solid in defence.

"Several backs can kick the ball a mile to put the opposition under territorial pressure and ask them to run from deep.

"They also have in Owen Farrell a 95 percent successful goal-kicker.

"That is what we will be up against," admitted Coetzee when the Springboks defend a 12-Test unbeaten record against England.

But Coetzee allayed fears among South African supporters and media that a team which has won only four of nine Tests this year face a thrashing at Twickenham.

"The prospects seem gloomy, but we will plan and prepare well. We will always give ourselves a chance, even when facing the second best team in the world."

Although the tour opener against the Barbarians on November 5 at Wembley Stadium in London does not carry Test status, Coetzee said it was crucial to start with a victory.

"The Baabaas match will set the tone for the rest of the tour," he said of a match where South Africa will lack their overseas-based stars because it falls outside the internationals window.

"Because it is not a Test does not mean we are going there to entertain. We want a win to lay the foundation for a successful tour."

Coetzee dismissed media claims that he had fallen out with Toulon No. 8 Duane Vermuelen, whose Test appearances this season have been severely curtailed by injuries.

"Duane called me to say 'Coach, based on my last outing with the Boks, I was not fit enough and my reputation took a bit of a knock.

"He added: 'I feel at this point I am not ready for international rugby'."

Coetzee said: "On top of that, Duane's wife is expecting their second baby in November -- for those reasons he is not available for the end-of-year tour."

After the Barbarians and England matches, South Africa play Italy in Florence on November 19 and Wales in Cardiff on November 26.

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