Ruthless Springboks roll into Australia with warning to Wallabies
The ruthless Springboks are vowing to not let their world-leading standards slip as they enjoy two days of relaxation on NSW’s Central Coast before taking aim at the Wallabies in Perth on September 27.
South Africa solidified their status as world rugby’s top dogs by winning three straight Tests against the All Blacks after dropping the first of the gruelling four-match series at their Ellis Park fortress.
Siya Kolisi of South Africa lifts the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry trophy. Getty Images
Rassie Erasmus’ squad enjoyed brief celebrations in Baltimore before jetting to Dallas then Sydney where they arrived on Wednesday.
The battle-weary Springboks then boarded buses to Terrigal where they will enjoy a little beach time before resuming training on Friday.
“We always knew how tough the matches against Argentina and in RGR (Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry) against the All Blacks would be, and we factored that into our preparation,” Erasmus said.
“Both Argentina and the All Blacks tested us thoroughly, and we have no doubt that we will be facing a determined Wallabies side that will want to put on a good show in front of their home crowd, and they will present a completely different challenge to that which we have faced in the last few Test matches.
“The Wallabies have been playing well, and we have no doubt they will come out firing in this match, which will require another full 80-minute performance from us to get the desired result next weekend.”
The Springboks play Romania at Optus Stadium at next year’s Rugby World Cup, where they will attempt to make history by winning the tournament three times in a row.
Erasmus’ squad depth is the envy of the rugby world and is likely to give some fresh players opportunity in the one-off Sunday Test against Australia.
“The players had a day off in Baltimore on Sunday before we embarked on the journey to Australia, and we obviously factored the impact the last three matches and the travel would have on the players in our planning,” he said.
“Andy Edwards, our head of athletic performance, and our logistics team have been working closely in the last few months to ensure that we do everything possible off the field to keep the players fresh and ready, and it will be the same for our coaching staff when we begin training on Friday.
“They deserve a lot of credit for the smooth travel and the way they ensured that we make everything as simple as possible for the players to perform well, and we will continue to do everything we can next week to make our country proud and finish the tour well.”
The Wallabies, meanwhile, will assemble in Perth on Friday.
Les Kiss is unbeaten as Wallabies coach in four Tests but knows what is coming his way.
“The intensity and the physicality of the matches, we’re a little bit removed from that,” he told reporters.
“Certainly, over the last four games, we’ve had some good, intense matches, but we’re certainly stepping up another level when we come up against the Springboks in a fortnight.
"We're aware of that. We know we have to be better in certain areas, and we're working hard to make sure we can improve in that. But, look, they're in our backyard, so we'll be up for the fight."
Watch Wallabies vs Springboks and the Bledisloe Cup. Add the Stan Sport package to watch rugby live and on demand with no ad-breaks in play
