Springbok prop Gerhard Steenekamp was thrilled to face SA’s arch-rivals after being selected as a replacement for the clash against the All Blacks on Saturday at the Emirates Airline Park at 17:00 on Saturday.
“It is every schoolboy’s dream to play against the All Blacks in a Springbok jersey. For me, it is no different. It will be a massive honour to play against the All Blacks if I get the opportunity, and it’s certainly a chance I hope to grab with both hands."
“The butterflies in the stomach never go away before any rugby match. I think the day they are not there is the day I will be done."
“If the excitement isn’t there anymore, you are here for the wrong reasons. I can’t speak for the other players, but the day they are gone I will be done."
“I think there isn’t a big or small test match, so for us, we just have to prepare as best we can and try to figure out where their weaknesses lie and try to exploit it.
“We need to try and win every test match and do the best we can,” Steenekamp said.
“They have a good scrum and set piece, and we’ll make sure we work hard and do our best up-front to counter the challenge they provide. It’s every young boy’s dream who plays rugby to face the All Blacks, so it would be special."
“Fortunately, I have the opportunity of training against some of the best props in the world on a weekly basis, and I try to learn more from them each day.”
“That gives one the confidence knowing what you are going into.
“We make sure we put in enough work during the week to make sure we are ready for the weekend.”
