Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said he expects an epic 80-minute battle against England in their second Castle Lager Outgoing Tour match at the Allianz Stadium in London on Saturday at 19:40 (SA Time).
Kolisi said England's desperation to win could make England an even more dangerous prospect going into what will be their first meeting since the Rugby World Cup semi-final, which the Springboks won 16-15 in Paris last year.
“They will be dangerous because we know how it feels to lose a few games in a row and what it took to turn things up again,” said Kolisi.
“We lost a few on the trot in Australia before, and such a situation can definitely pull a team together. They are also playing at home and will have their home crowd behind them, so we know they’ll be geared up for the challenge.”
Zooming in on their own game, Kolisi said: “We want to rectify our record here as a team (the Boks have lost three of their last four matches at the iconic stadium), and although we won last week (against Scotland), we have high standards, and it’s important for us to return to those standards as a group.”
Kolisi was taken aback by the support for the team on the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour thus far and said they owe it to their supporters to put up a good performance as they look to secure their second victory on the three-match tour. They will face Wales in Cardiff in their closing match of the tour on Saturday, 23 November.
“The support for the team has definitely been growing,” said Kolisi.
“Wherever we go there are Springbok supporters and some of them have travelled around the world to see us.
“The only way to thank them is by our performances on the field, so we always want to go out there and give our best.
“We also have immense support at home with people watching matches on television and at malls. Our people keep us accountable and give us hope because it gives us something greater to play for than the team.”
With prop Wilco Louw set to become the 50th player to run out in the green and gold jersey this season on Saturday, Kolisi praised Bok head coach Rassie Erasmus for staying true to the plan which he set out in 2018 and said it would set the team in good stead going forward.
“When Rassie took over (the job) in 2018, he said his plan was based around three elements – winning, transforming the team, and building squad depth,” said Kolisi.
“To see Wilco become the 50th player to take the field for the team this year while Rassie has been rotating the squad and we’ve been able to win most of the matches is something to be proud of, and ensures that looking forward if there are injuries we have a wealth of players who can step in at any time.”