The Springboks are expecting a fired up and well prepared Wallabies side in their one-off Test in Perth on Sunday.
Springbok assistant coach Duane Vermeulen says the Boks are gearing up for a fired up and prepared Wallabies in their one-off Test in Perth on Sunday. Picture: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
Former Springbok enforcer and current assistant coach Duane Vermeulen believes the Boks will have to be at their absolute best if they are to overcome a fired-up Wallabies side in their one-off Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday (kick-off 11:45am SA time).
With the squad having just come through a gruelling four-Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks, and coach Rassie Erasmus having made sweeping changes to his starting 15 for the match, it will be tough for the Boks to hit the ground running.
Vermeulen explained that the Australians will have closely followed the four games between the Boks and All Blacks, especially with them facing their New Zealand neighbours in two Bledisloe cup matches following this one, so will be very well prepared.
“Australia have had a good opportunity to watch the Greatest Rivalry series and prep for us, and after this match they go into a Bledisloe series with the All Blacks. They will have done their homework on how best to prepare for this game,” said Vermeulen.
“They will definitely go into this game with a proper plan and hope everything goes their way and they execute it well. They’ll be up for it.
“They are really quick at the breakdown. They’ve got some good poachers, good jackals in their squad, and obviously their scrum is also a threat because they’ve got a different way of scrumming compared to New Zealand.
“We also haven’t faced them this year with their lineouts and mauling. They’re a whole different setup under (new coach) Les Kiss, and we’ll have a game on our hands come Sunday. They’ll be well-prepared and can’t be underestimated.”
Serious Test
Although the Boks will likely still be on a high after their 3-1 series win over the All Blacks, they are taking the Wallabies Test extremely seriously, and want to continue their winning run, especially with them heading into a month long break before the November internationals.
It is also a massive opportunity for many of the more fringe members of the Bok squad, who didn’t get much or any game time against the All Blacks, to put in a big performance and impress, ahead of the end-of-year Nations Championship games.
“We don’t go into a Wallabies game saying, ‘Let’s just throw the ball around and have some fun,’ because it is not the All Blacks. It is a Tier One nation that is on the rise and playing really well. We have to prepare well,” said Vermeulen.
“On our side, obviously we’ve just come out of the Greatest Rivalry series, and we’ve made changes, but the guys playing understand their roles. The focus has been on them, and they know exactly what they need to do.
“Rassie said at the beginning of the season that everyone would get a shot, and Sunday is about him keeping his word. The guys understand that we don’t just say things, we follow through. Hopefully the guys take their opportunity and show us what they’ve got.”
