Welsh rugby
Howley expecting aerial assault against Boks
ESPNscrum Staff
September 6, 2011
Wales Head coach Warren Gatland (C) talks with assistant coaches Robert Howley (L) and Shaun Edwards during Wales Rugby Union training at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales on November 3, 2008.
Howley (left) and his Wales coaches are expecting a kicking game on Sunday against South Africa © Getty Images
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Wales assistant coach Rob Howley says the aerial kicking game is a key factor in Wales' hopes against South Africa on Sunday.

The former Wales scrum-half, a veteran of the 1999 Rugby World Cup campaign said: "We have to dominate the sky with our back three because the aerial kicking game is so crucial when we play South Africa."

Howley said the Wales team will have to maintain composure under pressure to meet the Springbok challenge.

"We can expect plenty of physicality on Sunday but the fitness work we have put in this summer will have also helped our mental preparations. We have worked hard on our efficiency and our fitness and that certainly showed in our preparation games against England and Argentina."

Howley considered him and his fellow coaches were happy with what the squad has achieved so far in their summer preparations which began back in June with a key message to minimise the errors particularly because of the kicking accuracy of Morne Steyn.

"Discipline, particularly in the tackle area and cutting down on unforced errors are key to us. We have to make sure we don't give silly penalties away," he stressed.

He said the current Wales squad can take confidence from their recent encounters with South Africa in which they lost 31-34 in June 2010, and 25-29 five months later in November, again at the Millennium Stadium.

But he warned that the strength of this South African team cannot be ignored by his players. "They're a very good side in terms of their power game and their accuracy at the set piece. So when we create opportunities and get behind lines we have to take our chances. It will be a huge factor if we are able to show composure throughout the game."

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