Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi were visibly excited on Wednesday about facing the Barbarians in the Qatar Airways Cup in Cape Town on Saturday after the team wrapped up their main training block of the week in soaking wet and cold conditions in the Mother City.
Commenting on his improved form of late, Fassi said, “I’ve looked to improve on my work rate and my communication, and also having the will to learn. My kicking game has also come about, so yes, just learning a lot."
Fassi was thrilled to reuniting with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe in an exciting back-three combination.
“It’s fantastic to play with them,” said Fassi. “We’ve played together a fair bit, so we know each other well, and I’m looking forward to playing with them again.”
Zoning in on the Barbarians touring squad, he anticipated an exciting challenge but stressed that the team was solely focused on the boxes they wanted to tick going into the Castle Lager Incoming Series, which features Tests against Italy and Georgia in July.
“100% it’ll be a Test match approach. The freedom the coaches give us to express ourselves is immense, and I’ll focus on what I have to deliver within the structures of the team.”
“We have a good idea about the Barbarians' set-up, and we know they like to throw the ball around, but the focus for us will be to stick to our structures and play the way we want to play."