When the starter gun goes off at Twickenham on Friday night, the Springboks are hoping to get the jump on the All Blacks in their Rugby World Cup warm-up match.
With their 35-20 Rugby Championship defeat in New Zealand still fresh in their minds, South Africa want to reverse what happened at the Mount Smart Stadium in July.
Such was the Kiwis’ onslaught on that day that when the Boks wiped out the sleep from their eyes properly, they were already down 17-0 inside the first quarter.
Hoping for more of the same from these guys on Friday 🔥#Springboks #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/Mq7PJWC1wd
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 22, 2023
Captain on the day Eben Etzebeth and his team played catch-up from that moment onwards, but they were never going to catch their rivals.
And with next month’s World Cup around the corner, Etzebeth says they would like nothing more than to bury the ghost of Auckland.
Etzebeth says: “We have to switch on from start and we’re preparing better this week. We’re trying to get a quick start or a better start. In the first 20 they were a better team than us on the field.”
The match is South Africa’s final before the start of their World Cup against Scotland on September and naturally there will be injury concerns heading into the match against New Zealand, with players not wanting to miss the global showpiece because of a niggle.
But Etzebeth says: “You are playing for your country and the Springbok jersey at a neutral environment - Twickenham - against probably South Africa’s biggest rival.
“It’s a Test match for the Springboks against the All Blacks and we’re gonna give our everything. “We will worry about the World Cup after Friday. The focus is on the upcoming game and if it goes well, it builds a bit of confidence for the World Cup.”
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za