Coetzee gives strange excuse for Springboks embarrassing loss to Ireland

The Springboks’ sleeping patterns may have been disturbed on their way to Europe, the team’s former conditioning coach Derick Coetzee fears.

“It’s important that the players’ biological clocks are properly set while on tour.” Coetzee said in an interview with Netwerk24.

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“The fact that the Boks flew in economy class and not business class could cause their sleep rhythms to be disrupted, even if the time difference in Europe is not much.

“I would never let big players or guys with lower back problems fly economy class,”

The Boks started their year-end tour on a low note when they were thumped 38-3 by Ireland in Dublin last Saturday.

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Coetzee was the Springboks’ fitness guru between 2004 and 2007, when Jake White was the head coach.

This Saturday the Boks tackle France in Paris, before also playing Tests against Italy (Padova, November 25) and Wales (Cardiff, December 2).

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