The home team was humiliated in Brisbane last week and captain Alan Alaalatoa says his team has “taken ownership of ensuring we get better,” while Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick claimed that “if we don’t pitch up with a desperate mindset, we will have a long day at the office”.
The Boks have not won back-to-back Test matches in Australia in the professional era — the 1971 Boks won a series 3-0 — and the big question is whether Rassie Erasmus has compromised the chance to win this mini-series 2-0 by making 10 changes.
Stick points out that the Boks have a poor record of backing up big wins, so putting a fresh side on the field could work in the Boks’ favour.
“Selecting the same team would not have guaranteed us a win,” he said. “Against Ireland, we selected the same 23 and then we didn’t pitch up.”
The same thing happened in 2022 when the Boks smashed the All Blacks in Mbombela only to fall prey to complacency against the same team at Ellis Park the next week.
“We have an open policy about how we operate and how we do things. We want to build squad depth but even so, we have 15 players in this match-day squad who have won a World Cup,” Stick said.
“There are lots of experienced players who are also getting opportunities. Guys like Thomas du Toit, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi. These guys have been pushing hard in training sessions.
“The more competition for places we get, the better it is for the coaching staff. Whatever happens tomorrow, I know these guys are going to put their hands up and will give us a lot of answers before the games against New Zealand.”
An overlooked point is that the Bok bench has more caps than the starting XV and with wet conditions expected, this will favour the Boks because the Wallabies’ only hope is to move the Boks around the park. A heavy pitch underfoot will mean a tighter game and the Bomb Squad boasts major muscle in Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch and Malcolm Marx.
“We feel we have the right mix to win,” Stick agreed. “It will be awesome for us to win two out of two away from home. In the past, it has not been easy for us to get a win in Australia.”
In the way is an Aussie team that will be far better after being like a “kangaroo caught in the headlights,” as Sir John Kirwan put it.
Alaalatoa explains: “Last week some of our boys were playing them for the first time. They will understand where we need to be better.
“It was a tough learning for us and coach (Joe) Schmidt was pretty hard on us after the loss. The coaching staff has driven the fact that all the attention is back on us and we have to take ownership and deal with the intensity South Africa will bring.”
To that end, the Wallabies will be much better for the return of warhorse wing Marika Koroibete and scrumhalf Nic White, the stirrer who caused an on-field riot in the match in Sydney in 2022. White’s incessant chirping managed to rile the usually unflappable Mapimpi, who was yellow-carded for dissent.
Stick says the Boks know from their own experience just what the Aussie mindset will be.
“We’ve been where they are as a team, on the other side of things, when we were desperate for a win. The key thing is that our players who are getting an opportunity are also in a desperate position to prove to us as coaches that they have what it takes.
“Last week is in the past. If we don’t pitch up with a desperate mindset, we will have a long day at the office.”
Teams:
Australia - 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Angus Blyth, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Josh Nasser, 1 Angus Bell.
Substitutes: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 James Slipper, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Tom Hooper, 20 Seru Uru, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Max Jorgensen
Springboks - 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Handre Pollard.