Salmaan Moerat said back-to-back wins in Australia will give the Springboks plenty of confidence for two blockbuster showdowns with New Zealand back home.
Moerat will lead a Bok team against the Wallabies at Optus Stadium on Saturday, featuring 10 changes from the side that cruised to victory in the opening round of the Rugby Championship in Brisbane.
A rare Bok whitewash of the Aussies Down Under will, though, set Rassie Erasmus’ men up nicely for a rematch of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, when the All Blacks face the world champions on 31 August at Ellis Park, before a 7 September duel in Cape Town.
Speaking to the media on Friday in the buildup to the Perth clash, the towering lock emphasised the focus within the team all week has been to improve on last week while preparing for a massive backlash from the hosts.
“I thought the team was exceptional last week,” Moerat, who was called up as a late replacement in Brisbane after RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje were ruled out, told reporters.
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“Everyone bought into the plan, and they were desperate, and we are determined to back it up this weekend.
“Australia will be desperate to turn things around, and we are well aware of that, so our challenge will be to be equally as desperate, if not more desperate on Saturday.
“One thing that’s for certain is that everyone in this team is desperate for this chance and they want to cement their places in the squad with an eye on the New Zealand Tests.
“If we can get a good result going into the All Black Tests in South Africa it would give us a lot of confidence.”
Moerat also expected a vastly improved performance from the Wallabies’ pack, who found themselves under pressure for most of the match last weekend.
“They’ll be desperate to rectify things from last week, and they have a forward pack that has a lot of pride in their scrum and set pieces,” he said.
“[Prop] Angus Bell is a quality player, along with several other of their forwards, so we are expecting a massive battle. From our side, the guys are excited and ready to go.”
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
