Springbok utility back Canan Moodie described the opportunity of facing the All Blacks at their fortress Eden Park in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship as “massive” and said it was an occasion he had dreamed about since being a young boy.
Should Moodie be named in Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ match-23 on Thursday for the round-three clash, and the first of two matches against their archrivals in New Zealand, he will earn his 17th Test cap.
Despite being the youngest player in the Bok touring squad at only 22 years old, Moodie has already faced the All Blacks twice – in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship in Cape Town last year (a match the Boks won 18-12, and in London in the team’s Rugby World Cup warm-up game in 2023, where the Boks emerged 35-70 victors.
The Boks may enter the match on a four-match winning run against the hosts, but Moodie admitted that there was a different aura around the match scheduled to kick off at Eden Park at 09h05 on Saturday.
“I’ve played against the All Blacks twice before, at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham and at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, but the magnitude of this match at Eden Park is huge, it’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Moodie.
“I remember waking up early in the morning to watch matches between the Springboks and All Blacks back in South Africa growing up, and to possibly have the opportunity to play this weekend is huge.”
This trip to New Zealand is Moodie’s first to the land of the long white cloud, and although he’s enjoying the city, he admitted overcoming the jetlag and adapting to the different time zones was a challenge, but one that he looked forward to.
“It’s intimidating playing in Auckland and especially at Eden Park, and given the enormity of this match (given the history between the teams and playing at this ground), it’s something else,” said Moodie.
“Both teams have a lot to play for. It’s an important match for the All Blacks, especially with this possibly marking Ardie Savea’s 100th Test, but also know what we know what we have to do going into this game.
“This is a vital match for us as well, and we’ll go out there and give everything we can to win.”
The former Junior Springbok speedster was not phased about whether he was to slot in at centre or wing, saying: “I enjoy both positions. It’s simply a case of making the mind shift according to the position I’ll be playing early in the week, so it’s literally just about making that switch.”
