The Springboks are preparing for a fierce opening clash against New Zealand’s All Blacks when the sides meet at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday in the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says his squad is well balanced, combining players who stayed in South Africa to prepare for the series with those who featured against Argentina.
Erasmus believes the return of several players from injury and adequate recovery time for others will strengthen the team ahead of the highly anticipated encounter.
“The All Blacks are a quality team, and we selected combinations we think would be best suited for the challenge this weekend,” Erasmus said.
He added that the squad had spent more than a week together and was now fully aligned with the game plan.
The Springbok coach expects an intense 80-minute battle against a New Zealand side boasting physical forwards and an exciting backline.
“We are preparing for an 80-minute grind. They have a well-rounded squad with physical forwards and an exciting backline, so we have to be sharp and accurate in our execution from the outset,” he said.
Erasmus warned that discipline and taking opportunities would be crucial, particularly given the history of close contests between the two rivals.
“Many of the matches between the sides have come down to the wire, so it is important that we use the chances we create and ensure that our discipline is on point,” he said.
The Springboks and All Blacks kick off at 5:10pm on Saturday at Ellis Park, with both sides set to renew one of rugby’s biggest rivalries.
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