The Springboks face an entirely different beast when they clash with the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday, with coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi warning that their 3-1 Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series triumph over the All Blacks counts for nothing at Optus Stadium.

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Erasmus has released utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit and centre Damian de Allende from camp to spend crucial time with their families after a punishing RGR workload, confident the travelling squad possesses sufficient cover for the 27 September showdown.

The one-off Test carries significant weight beyond bragging rights, with Australia hosting the 2027 Rugby World Cup, where the Boks will open their campaign against Italy in Adelaide on 3 October. Before that, this clash serves as vital preparation ahead of November’s Nations Championship fixtures against Italy, France and Ireland.

“This is a Test match against a country we’ve had a rivalry with since I can remember,” Erasmus declared. “Since David Campese scored that beautiful try, Pieter Hendriks got the opening try against them in Cape Town at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and since I played against players like George Gregan and Stephen Larkham when the Brumbies were one of the best teams in the world.”

The Springbok mentor emphasised the magnitude of facing the World Cup hosts: “They’ll be really fresh and they’ve won four out of five of their recent matches, while we come off a tough series against New Zealand. But RGR and this match have nothing to do with each other.”

Kolisi echoed his coach’s sentiments: “Australia is completely different to New Zealand, so we’ll have to readjust certain things. It’s going to be a big challenge.”

Currently based in Terrigal north of Sydney following their lengthy journey from the USA, the match kicks off at 11h45 (SA time).