There is no pressure at this stage from Sarfu on Springbok coach Harry Viljoen to perform. The pressure comes from the media and the public, Viljoen said on Monday.

Viljoen faces a critical period of his young tenure as Springbok coach over the following month when the Tri-Nations serious will be contested between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. The Springboks start their campaign on Saturday at Newlands in Cape Town when they take on the All Blacks.

The coach has been in the line of fire since the Springboks unconvincing displays in their three Tests thus far, the controversial axing of Andre Vos as captain and Rassie Erasmus as player, the resignation of assistant coach Andre Markgraaff and the appointment of Bob Skinstad as captain.

Certain people are even baying for his head if the Boks don't make a success of the Tri-Nations campaign. But Sarfu has been wonderfully supportive, Viljoen said on Monday.

In a lighter moment at a media conference on Monday the Springbok coach joked that his contract says he must win. "That's a demand created by you guys (rugby reporters) and the public."

On a more serious note Viljoen lauded Sarfu for the way the national governing body has assisted him since he took over the hot seat from Nick Mallett. "They've been very good. The communication between them and me has been excellent. They've been supporting me fantastically. Definitely at this stage it (the pressure) is not from Sarfu."

He added that it is difficult to phase in new systems and ideas in a country like South Africa, where the impatient public want a winning team at all costs. "We spoke about the patience of South Africans. It's a fine balance between bringing in the systems and winning at the same time," he said.

"It's very difficult to have all these changes, winning, looking at the World Cup in 2003 and to satisfy everybody and every province... But that's all part of the challenge and I always said I would be a better man once I walk out here. I said I would stick to what I believe because it is important for us to move forward in South African rugby."

The coach reiterated that he would go down with his vision in the knowledge that he at least tried.