Springboks loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon has warned that Saturday’s Nations Championship finale against Wales at Hollywoodbets Kings Park will be "anything but a walk in the park."
Following South Africa’s hard-fought 42-28 victory over Scotland in Pretoria, which marked the Boks’ 10th consecutive Test win, Dixon immediately shifted focus to the looming battle in Durban. Despite featuring a young squad with 10 changes to the starting lineup, the Springboks managed to grind out a win after being tied 14-14 at halftime.
Reflecting on his ninth Test cap, Dixon praised the team's resilience, especially after covering for his temporary yellow card.
“Wales are just getting better and better, and they're tough guys to play against,” Dixon said. “We struggled a little when Scotland got back into it in the second half, and Wales are going to be no different. They are a very difficult team to break down defensively, and they also have a good kicking game, so we are very excited for the match.”
“We don't know exactly which team is going to front up, but it will be a good game to end the first leg of the Nations Championship.”
Dixon also credited the presence of the squad's double Rugby World Cup champions for raising training intensity and accelerating the development of the younger players.
“When the game was in the balance, the guys got stuck in, and I was very proud to see that,” he said. “Unfortunately, I went off with the yellow card, but the guys defended a couple of phases, and we managed to turn the game around again, getting more territory and dominance at the breakdown. It was amazing to see, and to be a part of it again when I got back on the field.”
“When you put some of the double Rugby World Cup champions in a team, you just see how the level rises and how they take the messages from the meeting room to the training field and then into the match. The intensity on the field is high, and we learn a lot from those moments.”