Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi says they won’t fall for Australia’s mind games ahead of next week’s Rugby Championship opener at Loftus Versfeld.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is known for playing the media and hyping up matches in the build-up to big international games.
And with the World Cup around the corner, the speletjies will continue to come from different parts of the globe, as the chasing pack is trying to hunt down and ultimately dethrone world champions South Africa.
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Mbonambi, 32, knows it’s coming, but is min gespin, saying: “Personally I tend not to try and entertain it. But even if you want to avoid it, it’s going to be all over the media and you’re going to hear about it somewhere.
“But we, the players, hardly entertain it and are just focused on making every day count at training.
“Once we’re going out there [on the field] it’s about each guy executing his job on the day. The mind games are in every sport, I’m a big fan of NFL and once you see what’s going on there, they take it to another level.
“But I don’t entertain it much.”
On the pressure from fans to defend their crown in Paris later this year, Mbonambi adds: “South African rugby fans don’t only have expectations on us in a World Cup year, it’s the same for every game we play. We feel the expectations, but we don’t see it as pressure, we see it as an honour and a privilege.
“Of course, we feel nervous, but we are also excited. We love it and enjoy it.”
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za