Neutral Ground, Decisive Stakes: Why The Boks-All Blacks USA Test Is More Than An Exhibition
A delighted Rassie Erasmus shrugged off suggestions that his team had already clinched the series against New Zealand following Saturday’s victory at FNB Stadium in Soweto.
The Boks defeated New Zealand 29-24 in front of a raucous crowd of 86,000 in Johannesburg to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Hours later, the two sides boarded the same plane to the USA, touching down in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon.
Should the Boks win Saturday’s Test at M&T Bank Stadium, they will clinch the series. However, victory for the All Blacks would see the teams draw the series at two wins apiece.
“Playing in front of close to 90,000 people in Soweto was awesome,” said Hooker after being named Man of the Match in Saturday’s Test.
“The guys feeding off that atmosphere was something else, and next weekend is going to be awesome too.
“It’s a neutral venue, so it’s going to be closer to 50-50 in terms of the support. But it is my first time in America, and I’m looking forward to the experience.”
Hooker added: “We normally have the privilege of facing the All Blacks twice a year, but now we have the chance to play them four times back-to-back. It’s tough mentally and physically, but we are all honoured and really privileged to be able to face such a prestigious team four times in a row.”
Asked what the Boks changed after suffering defeat in the opening game of the series, Hooker said: “There was quite a bit of pressure, especially after losing the first game, but we knew the third game was always going to be make or break for either team.
“We tried to focus on ourselves, what we do and what works for us. As a group, we said we were going to put everything into that game, and if we won, great, but if we lost, we’d go again next week.
“We still have one game to play, so it’s not done. We want to lift our standards, and we’re going to focus all our energy on that.”
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will announce his squad for the match on Monday evening (SA time).
