Springboks determined to finish the season on a strong note against Wales
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Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Siya Kolisi said on Friday the Boks are determined to deliver a complete 80-minute performance and finish the season on a high note against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
The Test, which kicks off at 19h40 (SA time) at the Principality Stadium, is the last of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour to the UK, and the Boks’ 13th for 2024.
Victory would see the Boks complete the season with 11 wins, while they are also aiming to win all their matches on their November tour for the first time since 2013.
However, both Stick and Kolisi called for an improved performance following their 29-20 victory against England last week and warned that Wales will come out guns blazing, especially after losing their last 11 Test matches.
“We are looking for a complete team performance for 80-minutes,” said Stick.
“We were not as effective in our execution and discipline as we would have liked to be against England, and that’s not the way we want to play, so we are determined to improve on that performance.
“We take pride in the way we do things, so we want to finish the season on a strong note, and see the forwards and backs complement one another until the final whistle.”
Stick and Kolisi warned against underestimating Wales, with the Bok assistant coach saying: “The motivation is high in the team to finish the tour with three wins out of three. It’s been a tough season with two matches against the All Blacks and Ireland, so we want to make sure we finish it strongly.
“If we don’t finish the season well, we’ll be frustrated for the next six months. Wales are tough to face at home, and they have good backs, so we can’t underestimate them.
“They may be going through a tough time as a team, but we’ve also been there before and turned things around, and they’ll feel exactly the same in their change room tomorrow.”
Kolisi added: “We know what Wales are experiencing at the moment and we all saw their score last week. But if one looks at their forwards in particular, they won over five scrum penalties, and they have a pack that can lay a good foundation.
“Within our camp, however, the focus is on ourselves, and we want to ensure that we deliver a better performance than we did in the last two games and finish the season properly.
“We’ve faced Wales many times, and playing against them in Cardiff is a different story. In fact, many of us have lost against them here before,” said the Bok captain.
Kolisi added that the hosts’ passionate supporters at a packed stadium would make them a tougher proposition.
“There’s always a great atmosphere at the Principality Stadium and their fans really get behind them and stand by them, and we have no doubt it will be the same tomorrow,” said Kolisi.
Stick, meanwhile, played down the favourites tag on the Boks and said: “We certainly don’t see things that way. Wales had good moments against Australia, and they fought their way back into the game, so we know it will take an effective performance for 80 minutes to come out on top.”
The match kicks off at 19h40 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
