Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese hopes South Africa and New Zealand can deliver a spectacle for the American public when they clash in Baltimore on Saturday, showcasing the very best of rugby ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup in the United States.
The final instalment of the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series takes place at the M&T Bank Stadium. Wiese noted that lifting the trophy on American soil would be a historic and deeply special achievement for this squad.
"We’ve only been here since Sunday afternoon, so we haven’t spent a lot of time outside the hotel, but it’s obviously an amazing experience," Wiese said. "It’s my first time here. Some people have recognised a few guys, but not me as much. But hopefully, we can give the people here a good showcase this weekend and give them a taste of what rugby is about.
"The sport is obviously not as big here as it is in New Zealand or South Africa, but for the fans who are there this weekend, they’re going to see some great rugby from both teams who just want to go out there and give it their best."
With the current Springbok squad already boasting Rugby World Cup titles and a British & Irish Lions series victory, Wiese emphasised that securing this specific series trophy would hold immense value.
The Springboks currently lead the series 2-1. A victory or a draw on Saturday will clinch the title outright, while an All Blacks win would see the trophy shared.
"For this group, it would be something amazing to achieve – we’re taking this series just as seriously as we did the others," Wiese added. "The last time they toured [like this] in South Africa was in 1996, and the All Blacks won that one, so for this group to achieve a win would be something special."
Wiese dismissed any suggestions that the absence of injured All Blacks captain Ardie Savea would hand the Boks an easy psychological edge, pointing to New Zealand's famously deep talent pool.
"Ardie is obviously a massive player in their team, and he was their captain at the start of the series, but I don’t think his absence changes our preparation," he explained.
"Their other loose forwards have a lot of experience and have played in big games as well, so we will show our opponents as much respect as possible. In big games, all those guys step up."
Saturday's clash will also mark Wiese’s 49th Test match for South Africa. Reflecting on recently setting a new record for the most Test starts as a loose trio alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit and Bok captain Siya Kolisi, the physical No 8 admitted it feels surreal.
"It’s a massive privilege to play with guys like them, and I never take it for granted," Wiese said. "I actually didn’t know about the record until we saw it after the game, but yes, it’s special. We’re great friends, and that makes it so much more amazing to have done something like that together, so I’m really privileged."