Springbok assistant coach Daan Human says the team is determined to reward their passionate home crowd with a massive performance when they clash with the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg this Saturday at 17:10 SAST.
The Boks arrived in Gauteng on Sunday, hitting the ground running with intense training and gym sessions on Monday and Tuesday. The squad is operating at full throttle ahead of this weekend’s highly anticipated third Test in the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. For Human, the scrum guru, the occasion carries extra weight as it marks South Africa's final home Test of the year.
Human expects an electric atmosphere at the iconic 90,000-seater venue.
“It will be an amazing experience,” Human said. “There were over 56,000 people at last week’s Test in Cape Town, and we could have close to 80,000 to 90,000 at the stadium this week. We can only imagine how awesome it’s going to be.
“But no matter where we play, whether it is in Verkeerdevlei where I farm or at the FNB Stadium, we know what we have to do. Having that many people supporting you is something to feed off. You get energy from the crowd and enjoy the moment. South Africa has incredible support, and we don’t want to disappoint our fans. They stand behind us, and we’d like to give back to them.”
With the Springbok scrum under intense media scrutiny this week, Human refused to hit out at last week's officiating. He dismissed any suggestions that the coaching staff felt frustrated by the refereeing or that the Bok pack was employing illegal tactics at the set-piece.
“Referees need to understand what’s happening in the scrum, and they all have a lot of experience,” Human explained. “I actually thought Angus Gardner was very consistent in his decisions last Saturday. What he called for us, he called for them. It was the same story.
“I have respect for him, and I’m not going to question his decisions, but that’s also in the past now. This weekend we need to adapt to how the new referee sees it, and if he tells us to fix something, we’ll fix it. But I genuinely don’t think Angus refereed differently to how he normally does.”
Responding to allegations that the Springboks intentionally 'walk around' the scrum to manipulate the angle, the former Bok prop set the record straight.
“I can assure you, I have never coached that. We want to go forward, not walk around. Walking around is not ideal for us because it doesn’t give us forward momentum, which is what we want.
“We’re not perfect, and things can happen, but if we see something that can be done better, we try to fix it at the very next scrum. The scrum is a very important part of our team; it’s part of our culture and this country. There may be different opinions, but it’s not always easy to understand what’s really happening inside a scrum.”
Despite the external noise and the historical weight of the rivalry, Human said that the camp remains strictly focused on their own execution.
“Honestly, 80% to 90% of our concentration and work is focused on ourselves and getting better,” Human concluded. “We need to acknowledge that the All Blacks have very good backs and a strong pack of forwards. But for us, it’s about improving, not just for this game, but going forward.”