Captain Siya Kolisi says a clinical performance from the first to final whistle will be required for the Springboks to snap a run of four straight losses against Wales in Cardiff.
The world champions are in the Welsh capital to begin a three-match November tour against the reigning Six Nations champions.
South Africa edged Wales in the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-finals and though they’ll storm the Millennium Stadium with the confidence gained from beating the British & Irish Lions, the Boks haven’t silenced the renowned choir of local Welsh supporters since 2013.
Tellingly, three of those four losses were teed up by Wales building an early lead to force the tourists to chase the game. It’s a point that hasn’t escaped Kolisi’s attention.
“It’s all about who loses concentration and who takes the opportunity when they get them, so when we play them we have to be up for it physically and we can’t have a soft moment,” said the Bok captain.
A potent list of replacements, dubbed the Bomb Squad, has been central to South Africa’s success since the appointment of Rassie Erasmus as head coach in 2018 and, among others, it was the injection of veterans Elton Jantjies and Frans Steyn off the wood that rallied the Boks to a thrilling 31-29 victory over New Zealand in the world champions’ most recent Test.
“Some teams will match you physically, then go away, but Wales are hard for the full 80 minutes. They always step up – you saw it in the World Cup semi-final, it’s exactly the same thing when you play them here. They never go away, and are very smart.
“That way, the guys on the bench become so important because Wales knows when to step up the challenge.”
The challenge for the Boks will be to remain focused and astute despite fielding just one third of the tactical trio that won the World Cup – Handre Pollard will call the shots at flyhalf but Faf de Klerk (hip) and Willie le Roux (rested) have been replaced by Herschel Jantjies and Damian Willemse at scrumhalf and fullback, respectively.
Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick is confident the change in personnel won’t translate into a change of approach.
“Herschel has been working with us for the past three years and he knows exactly what we want to achieve,” said Stick. “I am excited to see him in the starting lineup, he deserves his chance because we are sometimes under pressure when he has come on [in the second half of matches]. Herschel now has the chance to make his mark in the starting lineup.
“And Damian has been with us for a long time and I remember how he played as a 20-year-old in front of a packed Twickenham in 2018. He has been waiting for his chance for a long time. “
