The withdrawal of Andre Markgraaff from the Springbok coaching team was a big setback, Bok chief coach Harry Viljoen said at a press conference at the team's hotel in Cape Town on Wednesday.

"I am not going to suggest that it is anything else. It is a big setback. However, I am not going to appoint another forward coach just yet. I will coach the forwards for now.

"It is not the ideal situation, but the team and myself decided it would be the best way to go for now," he said after the first open practice of their two-week preparation for the first Tri-Nations Test at Newlands on Saturday, July 21.

Although he played scrumhalf in his rugby career, it is nothing new for Viljoen to coach the forwards. He did so for then Transvaal, Western Province and the Stormers in his coaching stints for those provinces, he pointed out.

"But if you look at all the international teams, they have forwards and defensive coaches. So it is important to have a specialist forwards coach. It is part of modern rugby. But we will continue to talk to each other.

"Andre will be involved at national coaching level and we will be in touch all the time," added Viljoen.

Asked about the importance of next week's match against the All Blacks, Viljoen said he placed it high on his priority list. "It is important to win your home matches," he said. "I have to find a
balance between introducing my vision of rugby and where I want it to go, and winning."

But he would not forsake his vision. It was important for him to win but it was obvious to anyone who had watched the recent international clashes between the All Blacks, France, Australia and the British and Irish Lions that a new style of rugby had to be developed in South Africa.

Viljoen believed that by using the right combination of youth and experience he would find the right formula.

"Life is about challenges," he said. "If I go down then it will be doing what it is I want to do, what I know is right."

It was his goal to identify players with special talents because it was only players with special talents that made the difference at Test level.

"Look at Lucas van Biljon, Conrad Jantjes, Cobus Visagie and Johan van Niekerk. Van Niekerk is one of the most exciting players in world rugby."

Combined with these players would be the experienced ones. "I will make mistakes. I know I will make mistakes."

The team was getting used to his patterns. The new defensive systems were going to take a while to become an automatic part of them. But the Boks had to learn them if they were not to fall behind the rest of the world, he said.

Asked about Johan Erasmus who had been dropped from the squad, Viljoen said: "He was not part of my 22 so there was no point having him hanging about when he could be back with his provincial side playing and training and getting a chance to get match fit again.

"It is far better to have a young talent like Van Niekerk here getting the feel of Springbok rugby." - Sapa