THE Springboks are bristling with confidence that they can break open fortress New Zealand when they face the mighty All Blacks today in a top-of-table Rugby Championship clash.
South African coach Heyneke Meyer said beating the world champions on their home turf is “the ultimate challenge” while the hosts see the game as their toughest since winning the World Cup two years ago on the same Eden Park ground.
The All Blacks’ incredible home record is there to be broken, Springbok skipper Jean de Villiers said, as he rated his side’s preparation for the Test between the world’s top two sides as their “best ever”.
History is stacked against the South Africans, with the All Blacks on a 30-match winning streak at Eden Park, a venue where the Springboks last won 76 years ago.
The All Blacks have not lost in New Zealand since 2009, when the Springboks won 32-29 in Hamilton, and that result, said de Villiers, has proved a huge motivating factor.
While the Springboks are buoyant, the All Blacks have toned down their pre-match rhetoric.
“The team that executes their game with the greatest effectiveness, clarity and intensity will be the one that comes out on top,” said coach Steve Hansen.
The visitors go into the Test with a one bonus point advantage over the All Blacks, and a win tomorrow would make them difficult to overhaul as their last two matches, against the Wallabies and All Blacks, are at home in South Africa.
New Zealand play Argentina away in their penultimate fixture in this year’s championship.
If forecast rain holds off, there could be plenty of try-scoring opportunities, meaning the game could come down to the accuracy of the kickers.
Morne Steyn has only missed three of 28 shots at goal in this series while Dan Carter, whose only outing so far was against Argentina, could only boast a 57% success rate. — Sapa-AFP
Boks back themselves to win
South African coach Heyneke Meyer said beating the world champions on their home turf is “the ultimate challenge” while the hosts see the game as their toughest since winning the World Cup two years ago on the same Eden Park ground.
The All Blacks’ incredible home record is there to be broken, Springbok skipper Jean de Villiers said, as he rated his side’s preparation for the Test between the world’s top two sides as their “best ever”.
History is stacked against the South Africans, with the All Blacks on a 30-match winning streak at Eden Park, a venue where the Springboks last won 76 years ago.
The All Blacks have not lost in New Zealand since 2009, when the Springboks won 32-29 in Hamilton, and that result, said de Villiers, has proved a huge motivating factor.
While the Springboks are buoyant, the All Blacks have toned down their pre-match rhetoric.
“The team that executes their game with the greatest effectiveness, clarity and intensity will be the one that comes out on top,” said coach Steve Hansen.
The visitors go into the Test with a one bonus point advantage over the All Blacks, and a win tomorrow would make them difficult to overhaul as their last two matches, against the Wallabies and All Blacks, are at home in South Africa.
New Zealand play Argentina away in their penultimate fixture in this year’s championship.
If forecast rain holds off, there could be plenty of try-scoring opportunities, meaning the game could come down to the accuracy of the kickers.
Morne Steyn has only missed three of 28 shots at goal in this series while Dan Carter, whose only outing so far was against Argentina, could only boast a 57% success rate. — Sapa-AFP
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