Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids and Springbok prop Ox Nché shared in the excitement about the prospect of playing in front of a crowd for the first time since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The players are excited to play in front of a capacity crowd again - it has been some time since we last experienced that,” said Davids.
“We’ll obviously have to adapt again, especially with our communication and a few other things, but it’s going to be fantastic and hopefully it will fire up the guys more.”
Nché echoed these sentiments: “I’m pretty excited. For me personally it is important to use every opportunity in the green and gold, and it’s very exciting that there will be fans at the stadium.
“It’s almost unreal. I can’t remember how it feels. So, I’m pretty nervous, but excited.”
Having been part of the Springbok squad in his debut season in 2018 and now again in 2021, Nché said the team had grown in leaps and bounds.
“I would say 2018 was the beginning of the journey that we started with Rassie (Erasmus, SA Rugby Director of Rugby) and Jacques (Nienaber, Springbok head coach), and we were still adapting to get to the point where we had one vision,” said Nché.
“Now everyone has the same mindset and makes the necessary sacrifices for the Springbok jersey; it doesn’t matter how many Tests matches one has played. We play for one another.”
Nienaber will announce his team to face the Wallabies in the first of two Tests on Wednesday.