{
  "id": 18259749,
  "title": "‘It’s about pitching up on the day,’ says Flannery about Boks’ defence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/its-about-pitching-up-on-the-day-says-flannery-about-boks-defence",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T05:28:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/rugby/its-about-pitching-up-on-the-day-flannery-boks-defence/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Springbok defence coach Jerry Flannery appears unperturbed by his team's defensive issues as they prepare for their Nations Championship campaign, which kicks off with a Test match against Italy in Turin on Saturday. This season, the Springbok defence has conceded 30 tries in nine matches, averaging more than three tries per game. However, most of these conceded tries occurred in their Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks, where the All Blacks scored a total of 17 tries in just four games. The Boks emerged victorious in that series with a 3-1 win. While their performances have been mixed, conceding five tries against the Wallabies, four against Scotland, three against England, just one against Argentina, and none against Wales, Flannery attributes this trend to the broader global landscape of rugby. He explained that this is a worldwide issue that every defence coach is grappling with as the game evolves towards a more attacking style of play. Flannery admitted that each year since 2024, the number of points conceded by the Springboks has been increasing, but he believes this is a common challenge faced by all teams worldwide. Despite the disappointment from their loss to Australia in September, Flannery emphasized that the defence is an ongoing process where the team is continuously striving to improve. He acknowledged that not all players from the Australian game have been selected for the upcoming match against Italy, but he stressed the importance of giving their best effort \"on the day.\" The Boks will be keen to address any defensive weaknesses ahead of their crucial matches against France in Paris and Ireland in Dublin, which follow their Italy clash.",
  "summary": "The Springboks will be aiming to produce an improved defensive showing during their Nations Championship matches over November.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}