Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe was all smiles during the team's captain's run ahead of their match against the All Blacks at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
The Springboks are treating Saturday’s Third Test showdown with the All Blacks like a World Cup knockout match — and that should send a shiver of excitement through South African supporters.
Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick says the Boks have approached the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry clash with the same mentality that has helped them conquer the biggest stages, with an early defeat followed by a ruthless response becoming a familiar feature of their recent history.
The Boks lost their opening Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park before bouncing back to level the series in Cape Town last weekend. Now, with the teams locked at 1–1, they head into Saturday’s “Clash in the Calabash” at Soccer City knowing victory would put them one step away from claiming the series.
“From the start, we said we’d treat this series like a World Cup knockout campaign,” Stick said.
