Rassie’s New Breed: Why The Springboks’ Star-Studded Debut Pack Has Wales Running Scared

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Pieter-Steph du Toit insisted that South Africa is approaching Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against Wales in Durban with the same seriousness and respect they bring to every Test match, predicting another demanding encounter.

Although the Springboks have enjoyed an impressive record against Wales in recent years, both Stick and Du Toit stressed that previous results will count for little when the sides meet at Hollywoodbets Kings Park. The match kicks off at 17:40 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

“I was there in 2016, 2017 and 2018 when there was a transition in our own system,” said Stick.

“We had our challenges. In 2018, we had only a 50% win rate, but people look at us now and see a world-class team. Wales are in a similar position.

“One or two good results could change everything for them. Back in 2018, our focus was simply to beat New Zealand in New Zealand, and once we achieved that, things started turning around and the belief grew.”

Stick admitted the Springboks were not at their best in certain areas during last week’s victory over Scotland and said those aspects have been a major focus in training.

“I don’t think we were at our best with our kicking game and defence last week, so there’s a lot of room for improvement in the way we’re operating as a team. One of our biggest focus areas this week has been our kicking game and how we defend together.

“Wales will probably look at that game and think that if they keep the ball in hand, they’ll be able to put us under pressure. That said, as long as we keep improving and continue making our supporters back home happy, that’s our biggest focus.”

Stick added that the Springboks are determined to continue building momentum while also strengthening squad depth, with four players set to make their Test debuts: prop Carlu Sadie, lock Ruben van Heerden, flyhalf Vusi Moyo and winger Jaco Williams.

“If you look at the team we’ve selected, it tells you how we’re approaching this game,” Stick said.

“A lot of people focus on the debutants getting their opportunity, but if you look at the players around them, they are all world-class, and some are double Rugby World Cup winners.

“When you look at Wales, they are a world-class team, and people sometimes forget that because they focus on results. But we know them very well.

“If you don’t prepare properly, they’ll punish you because they also have world-class players. From my experience when I first started coaching, we struggled against Wales and lost to them regularly.

“So if they’re on top of their game and you’re not at your best, it’s going to be a tough afternoon. We’ve prepared for this match with 100% respect, and that’s exactly the same approach we take against teams like Ireland or New Zealand.”

Du Toit echoed those sentiments, highlighting the quality of Wales’ loose forwards and expecting a fierce battle at the breakdown.

“They have strong ball carriers and are very physical in defence, so we have to get our set pieces right,” said Du Toit.

“We also made a few defensive mistakes last weekend, and we’ve worked hard to fix those this week. I’m sure Wales will look to expose those areas again, but I’m excited to see how we respond.”

The pair also shared their excitement for the four debutants.

“The guys who joined us this year came in with open minds and adapted really quickly to how we want to play, how things are done here, how the system works and what’s expected of them,” Stick said.

“The intensity, excitement and hunger they’ve brought have probably been the biggest positives. They’re thrilled to wear the Springbok jersey, and for them to have the opportunity to make their Test debuts at Hollywoodbets Kings Park is an unbelievable privilege.”