Boks wary of 'dark places' Eddie Jones has taken Wallabies
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Duane Vermeulen are wary of what Eddie Jones' Wallabies are bringing to the table in their opening Rugby Championship match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The pair emphasized the importance of being at the top of their game as well as being adaptable when they line up against Australia following their final on-field preparations on Friday.
"A Test against Australia is always big," said Stick. "The match was sold out a long time ago, and the boys are excited. So it's going to be a big game."
Both teams will take the field for the first time this season at Fortress Loftus in a Test which both sides will target for a victory to set the tone for what is a very important season with the Rugby World Cup kicking off in September.
"They have a strong team and they'll be up for it," Stick continued. "We've tried to analyze them, and we know what we've looked at won't be 100% correct because Eddie (Jones - Australian coach) can take the players to dark places to get the best out of them."
The visitors will have the extra motivation of possibly making history by becoming the first Australian team to win at Loftus Versfeld – a factor the Boks were well aware of.
"They'll come to Pretoria wanting to change history," Stick added.
Stick, however, said there was an air of excitement in the Bok camp for the clash: "There's a big feeling of excitement in the squad, especially with it being a Rugby World Cup year. The balance of youth and experience in this team excites me, and there are some guys coming back from injury. So, I like what I'm seeing."
"That said, we know if we are not at our best, it could be a long day because this is a good Australian side and they have a lot of experienced players in the squad," he added.
With Australia being somewhat of an unknown factor, Vermeulen said he and his teammates had to be ready for anything Australia produced on the day.
"We have to be adaptable," said Vermeulen. "We have our plan, and they'll have theirs, but we'll have to see how things play out and make plans accordingly. It will come down to us stopping what they bring."
Of being handed the captain's armband, Vermeulen said: "It's unbelievable to have the honor of leading a Springbok team, and we'll go out there and give our best. There are a few players in the team that have captained their club or franchise teams, so we can make decisions together."
Latest Comments
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
Go to comments