Pressure into points: Springboks acknowledge finishing struggles ahead of France battle

In Marseille

Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids said the conversion of opportunities is something they’ve discussed extensively ahead of Saturday's Test against France in Marseilles.

The Boks may have lost 19-16 against Ireland in Dublin last week, but the game also spoke volumes of SA's inability to convert their opportunities into points.

They camped in Ireland's 22 for large parts of the game, but didn't have the points to show for their endeavour.

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It was the same case against the All Blacks in both home Rugby Championship Tests this year and in the 25-17 loss to the Wallabies in Adelaide where the Boks couldn't make the most of their possession and territorial dominance.

Davids said they've discussed the issue at length and they hope to be better in that department on Saturday.

"We had an extensive talk about that and it's not just about the talk, but it's about understanding how the players think and how we think in those circumstances," Davids said.

"It's also about understanding how we think about the identification and communication of opportunities.

"It is a concern and something that we talk about and hopefully we will get it right. We've also given players opportunities in different positions with the mindset of wanting to win games and get experience at the same time.

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"We've seen the players who can recognise, create and finish those opportunities and we've seen those areas that need to be worked on."

Springbok tighthead prop Frans Malherbe has been at the heart of the opportunity creation through his power scrumming and lineout maul