A fired-up Springbok side are zoned in and ready for a brutal dogfight in the trenches when they take on the All Blacks at their formidable Eden Park citadel on Saturday, lock RG Snyman says.
The All Blacks are defending an unbeaten run of 50 matches at the iconic Auckland venue and this incredible record has raised the stakes for both teams (kickoff 9.05am SA time).
All Black coach Scott Robertson summed up the magnitude of the occasion when he said: “One plays two in the world. All eyes are watching.
“It’s pretty exciting for us as a country. We’ve got a record at Eden Park that we are really proud of and we’ll play for.”
After losing to Argentina in their previous Rugby Championship outing, the pressure is on the home side to bounce back against their fiercest rivals.
“Playing the All Blacks is the highest peak for any Springbok,” Snyman said.
“To beat the All Blacks in New Zealand will always be special and even more so when it’s at Eden Park.
“It’s an unbelievable privilege to have the opportunity to end South Africa’s long winning drought here.
“It is always tough to come and play here in New Zealand.
“Because people are making such a big thing of us not winning here for so long, it has put pressure on both teams.
“It is a great chance for all the players to be here and to play at Eden Park
“When you talk to some of the guys in our squad, there are not a lot of us who have had that opportunity to play here.
“So it is an unbelievable opportunity that we have, and we go out there and do the job.”
Snyman said arriving in Auckland well in advance of the showdown had been beneficial.
“Getting here a few days earlier helped us nicely to get used to the time zone difference and to settle in,” he said.
“We are also getting used to the climate, which is a bit rainy, and these are some of the challenges which we are looking forward to.
“This is going to be a big game and the guys are ready and we are busy preparing.”
Snyman said he was looking forward to facing his Leinster teammate and All Black centre Jordie Barrett in a game that could decide the destiny of the Rugby Championship trophy.
“We’ve had a nice season at Leinster and it was good to get to know him a little better off the field,” he said.
“Jordie is a great rugby player and meant a lot to us at Leinster, just as he does for the All Blacks.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him from the other side of the field.”
The Boks are set to name their team on Thursday.
Coach Rassie Erasmus said it not been decided whether skipper Siya Kolisi (calf strain) would be fit to play.
“We brought 36 guys on tour and Siya is touch-and-go for this week,” he said.
“It’s again one of those calls that must be made with a little bit of a longer-term mindset. He’ll definitely be available next week for the Test in Wellington.
“We will only announce the team on Thursday, but at this stage, he is bracketed just to make 100% sure we don’t push him.
“Initially, we thought he was going to be out with a six to eight-week injury, and then the scan came back much clearer.
“So, we'll make that call a little bit later in the week, but next week, he will be 100%.
“It’s a long season, and we still hope that Siya can play another year or two for us and bringing him back one game too early might just mess it up.
“It is an emotional decision, and it’s one that we haven’t quite finalised. The heart says let’s play him, but the mind says let’s watch until Thursday.”
The Herald
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