Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Jesse Kriel were adamant on Friday that the team had to bounce back strongly after their disappointing performance against the Wallabies last week, when the sides cross paths for the second time in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stick said they are expecting a massive onslaught from the visitors and described the feeling in the camp early this week as being at a funeral after going down 38-22 against the Wallabies in Johannesburg. He added that the disappointment among Bok fans really struck a chord about what rugby means to South Africa and its people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Wallabies have world-class players, and they did well to capitalise on some of our errors last week,\u201d said Stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is the standard in the Rugby Championship, so it\u2019s important for us to go back and make it right this weekend. This team knows how to learn through tough times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt felt like a funeral after the last match, and we know how disappointed our supporters were.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kriel shared the Bok coach\u2019s sentiments and said: \u201cWe know what we got wrong last weekend, and we\u2019ve worked hard to rectify that and align on what we want to achieve going into this game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been here before, and it\u2019s important for us not to forget that we\u2019ve lost one match up to now. The great thing about rugby is that we have a chance to fix things again this weekend, and everyone is itching to get back on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlthough there is pressure, we are used to it because there is pressure every week at this level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Stick and Kriel expected to face a charged-up Australian outfit, with the coach saying: \u201cThey have quick, quality players, and we learned a lot last week about what it requires to be the best in the world, so it\u2019s vital that we don\u2019t make silly errors again this weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe also created several opportunities that we didn\u2019t use, and if you don\u2019t take them against a team like Australia, they\u2019ll punish you on the day. So hopefully this weekend we can put together a solid 80-minute performance, and the experienced players coming off the bench can also make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stick added: \u201cThe biggest work-on for us is undoubtedly our game management, especially if one looks at how we started last week\u2019s match compared to how we finished it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They both had full faith in fullback Aphelele Fassi to fill Willie le Roux\u2019s boots following the Springbok centurion\u2019s withdrawal from the starting team on Friday morning as a result of a niggle picked up at training earlier in the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say the loss of Willie disrupted our plans because Aphelele has been in the system for a while, and he played last weekend,\u201d said Stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, although we\u2019ve lost a very experienced player in Willie, we are confident Aphelele will do the job for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kriel also spoke highly of Fassi as a fullback and the role he plays in the team, saying: \u201cUnfortunately, Willie picked up a niggle, but he\u2019s been working very closely with Aphelele, who is a very talented player, whom we believe in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObviously, Willie would have liked to play again, especially with his family also here, but Aphelele is a great player, and we know what he can do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the Springboks currently third in the world rankings, Stick acknowledged the significance of winning this match to avoid a further decline down the rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s always in the back of our minds, especially with the Rugby World Cup draw later this year, so every game will count and we desperately want to bounce back and keep making South Africa proud,\u201d said Stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRugby is much bigger than a game in this country. It means a lot to the people what we do on the field, so that will always be a huge motivational factor for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The match kicks off at 17:10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Jesse Kriel were adamant on Friday that the team had to bounce back strongly after their disappointing performance against the Wallabies last week, 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