Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick had warned the Springboks of writing off a “desperate” New Zealand outift when the teams renew hostilities in Cape Town on Saturday.
The arch-rivals last week clashed at Ellis Park, where the Boks came from a 10-point deficit to triumph 31-27. The win saw the world champions extend their lead in the Rugby Championship, as they top the table on 14 points.
Rassie Erasmus’ charges have set their sights on clinching the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009 when the South Africans line up against New Zealand in a maiden showdown at Cape Town Stadium.
Apart from the Freedom Cup, the Boks can also make a big leap up the standings. They also have the opportunity to change their fortunes in the Mother City, where the Kiwis have traditionally had the upper hand over South Africa.
The Boks, too, can win their fourth successive game against New Zealand – a feat they have only achieved once before, yet while all this will serve as huge motivation, Stick emphasised the importance of being switched on for the full 80 minutes.
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“You can never be comfortable playing against New Zealand,” he told the media during a Bok conference on Friday.
“We saw after the match we won against them in Mbombela [last year] how they bounced back, and they did the same against Argentina earlier in the competition this year, so if we are not at our best, they can put you away.
“They’ve also selected backs that we cannot afford to allow space. We’ve certainly learned from the past what can happen if we don’t pitch up properly mentally and physically.”
“You can never relax when you play against them, we’ve never been in a position like this in the tournament,” Stick added. “We know how tough it’s going to be to try to secure a win, and to win the Freedom Cup.
“It’s a special trophy and with our country celebrating 30 years of democracy it’s an important occasion for South Africa, so we’ll do everything we can to win the trophy.
“That said, most of the games between us recently could have come down to the last second. In fact, the only match in which we were in a comfortable position against them was in the Rugby World Cup warm-up game at Twickenham last year.
“We know they’ll be desperate to get five points from this match. It will be tough, but we live for moments like these.”
Photo: @AllBlacks/Twitter
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
