Davids added that the Test – the first between South Africa and Portugal – would be vital to build momentum with the massive task of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship lying ahead.
The Springboks started the 2024 season on a strong note with a 41-13 victory against Wales at Twickenham in June, followed by a 27-20 win over the world’s second highest ranked team, Ireland, in Pretoria two weeks ago.
However, a slow start in the first half in the second Test against the Irish in Durban last Saturday came at a high cost in the series decider, which the Boks lost 25-24 following a last-gasp drop goal by the visitors.
They may be facing a tier-two nation in Portugal this weekend, but Davids said the team goals came first, and that they were determined to bounce back strongly from last week’s defeat and to build on their standards.
“As a team we pride ourselves on the standards we’ve set, and for our respect for the opposition, no matter which team we face,” said Davids.
“Having looked back at our performance last week, we need to be more focused going into this game and play the quality of rugby we want to play.”
Davids expected Portugal to come out firing in what he described as one of the biggest Tests in their history – with the Springboks being crowned the world champions for a second time in a row last year in France and holding onto their spot as the top ranked team in the world.
“Portugal beat Fiji in the World Cup, so they are no pushovers,” said Davids.
“They like to move the ball around a lot and their head coach [Simon Mannix] has a New Zealand background, which says a lot about the way they want to play, so it will be important to keep them at bay, to dominate on attack and defence, and deny them momentum. We want to play the match on our terms.”
“They will be highly motivated to show that they can play well and perform at this level, and they certainly won’t need more motivation knowing that they will be facing the world champions.
“They also have a good support base in Bloemfontein and will want to make the most of the occasion of playing in front of a sold-out stadium, so it’s going to be a good test for both teams.
“They beat Namibia on Saturday, who have a good coaching team, so it won’t be a case of us pitching up and winning the match. We have to deliver a quality performance and give our best for the full 80 minutes.”
Davids expanded on Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus’ comments on Sunday that they would look to release a few players on Wednesday afternoon to rest and recover before the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, which kicks off against Australia in August, saying they’ll try to strike a fine balancing act in terms of team selection this weekend.
“We have a clear strategy about where we are as a team now and what we need to do going forward, so there are two key factors for us this week, and those are managing the players and building squad depth,” said Davids.
“We have a tough and long season so it’s vital that we manage the players effectively, but we also want to build squad depth for the future, so we’ll probably try to balance those aspects as well as possible this week.”
Springbok prop Ntuthuko Mchunu, who made his Test debut in Bloemfontein against Wales in 2022 and will earn his third Test cap on Saturday if he is selected in the matchday squad, was excited about being back in the group.
“It’s good to be back in Bloemfontein and in the squad, and if I get an opportunity to play this weekend it will be honour I plan to make the most of,” said Mchunu.
“There’s been a lot of growth in the team in the last few months, and many of the players are now more mature, so it’s going to be a big test for the team, just as it is in every other Test match.”
Mchunu, who has been likened to former Springbok prop Tendai Mtawarira in some circles, admitted that while it was a fantastic feeling, he wanted rugby supporters to see him for his qualities rather than a player capable of filling the big boots of the “Beast”.
“’Beast’ set a path for himself in his own right with all his accolades, and if I can achieve even half of that it would be fantastic,” said Mchunu. “That said, I’d like people to see me as a player with my own set of skills and for what I can offer the team, so I’d prefer to be seen as Ntuthuku.”
Erasmus will announce his matchday squad to face Portugal on Tuesday. The match kicks off at 17h00 on Saturday and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
