Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said on Friday that apart from the Freedom Cup, the Springboks can also make a big leap up the Castle Lager Rugby Championship standings.
The Springboks also have the opportunity to change their fortunes in Cape Town, where the All Blacks have traditionally had the upper hand over South Africa, while the Boks can also win their fourth successive game against New Zealand, a feat they have only achieved once before.
While all this will serve as massive motivation for the Boks, Stick said he expected a gruelling encounter on Saturday and warned that one could never write off the All Blacks.
“You can never be comfortable playing against New Zealand,” said Stick.
“We saw after the match we won against them in Mbombela [last year] how they bounced back, and they did the same against Argentina earlier in the competition this year, so if we are not at our best, they can put you away.
“They’ve also selected backs that we cannot afford to allow space. We’ve certainly learned from the past what can happen if we don’t pitch up properly mentally and physicality.”
The Bok assistant coach added: “You can never relax when you play against them, and we’ve never been in a position like this in the tournament. We know how tough it’s going to be to try to secure a win and to win the Freedom Cup.
“The Freedom Cup is a special trophy and with our country celebrating 30 years of democracy it’s an important occasion for South Africa, so we’ll do everything we can to win the trophy.
“That said, most of the games between us recently could have come down to the last second. In fact, the only match in which we were in a comfortable position against them was in the Rugby World Cup warm-up game at Twickenham last year.
“We know they’ll be desperate to get five points from this match. It will be tough, but we live for moments like these.”