Springboks ready for redemption against All Blacks

The Springboks are out to redeem themselves against the All Blacks after their sub-par performance against the New Zealanders six weeks ago in the Rugby Championship.

REMINDER: Springboks vs All Blacks kick-off time on FRIDAY

Ian Foster’s All Blacks played Jacques Nienaber’s off Springboks off the park. The Springboks had no answer to the New Zealanders’ onslaught in the early stages, and while there was a fightback from the South African ‘Bomb Squad’ in the second half, the damage had already been done.

Now the bitter rivals are set for a rematch in a pre-World Cup friendly at Twickenham in London and Nienaber is adamant that they’ve learned from that battering and that it is now time to rectify their mistake.

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SPRINGBOKS AND ALL BLACKS SET FOR ANOTHER CHAPTER IN EPIC STORY

Speaking during his team announcement on Monday, Nienaber that despite his team’s recent excellent form, this weekend’s fixture will determine how read they are for the World Cup because the All Blacks are the yardstick in terms of measuring readiness and excellence.

“The All Blacks will provide a different challenge to Wales, and we believe this group of players is the right mix for this match,” said Nienaber.

“New Zealand play a high-tempo game, and they turn on the intensity from the starting whistle as they showed in Auckland, so it’s vital that we start well this week.

“We took the lessons from that match, and we’ve built good momentum since, so this will be a fantastic test before we enter our Rugby World Cup campaign.”

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Commenting on the changes to the team, Nienaber said: “Our objective since the beginning of the season was to strike a balance between performance and managing player load with only six Test matches to get ready for the World Cup, and we are pleased with the way we have developed in that regard.

“In the last five matches we’ve given everyone, with the exception of the injured players, valuable game time, which is vital going into the World Cup, and we are satisfied with the way we have been building as a team.”

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A FORWARD BATTLE IS EXPECTED AT TWICKERS

Nienaber expected a massive battle against their arch-rivals in front of a crowd of more than 80 000 at Twickenham and said: “The rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks is one of the most intense in world rugby, so it’s a great way for us to wrap up our warm-up matches before heading to France for the World Cup.

“This match may be on neutral ground, but we expect it to be as epic as every other Test between the teams. They are a quality team with several playmakers and physical forwards, and they’ll give everything on Friday.

“We know what to expect and what we need to do to work our way into a position to get the desired result, so as a team we need to be ready mentally and physically.”

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