Kolisi says Australia clash a 'big challenge' for Boks

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi said South Africa are bracing themselves for a completely different challenge against the Wallabies in Perth next Sunday to that which they faced in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series against the All Blacks.

Erasmus and Kolisi admitted that this match would test the team in various other ways.

Erasmus also revealed that utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit and centre Damian de Allende have been released from camp to spend time with their families after a demanding workload during RGR, with sufficient cover within the travelling squad for the match against the Wallabies.

The teams will meet for the first time this year in a one-off Test at the Optus Stadium on Sunday, 27 September, in a match that will be significant for both sides, with the 2027 Rugby World Cup set to be hosted in Australia, where the Boks will face Italy in their opening clash in Adelaide on Sunday, 3 October.

With a large amount of attention on the Springboks’ 3-1 RGR series win against the All Blacks, Erasmus said that competition was behind them now and emphasised that this clash was vital for the team before they embark on the second leg of the Nations Championship in November, where they will take on Italy, France, and Ireland, before the Finals Weekend.

“This is a Test match against a country we’ve had a rivalry with since I can remember,” said Erasmus.

“Since David Campese scored that beautiful try, Pieter Hendriks got the opening try against them in Cape Town at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and since I played against players like George Gregan and Stephen Larkham when the Brumbies were one of the best teams in the world.

“It’s not a tour we want to finish off casually. This is a great country, and the World Cup is being hosted here next year, so it’s massive to be able to play against the World Cup hosts in a big Test match.”

Erasmus added: “They’ll be really fresh and they’ve won four out of five of their recent matches, while we come off a tough series against New Zealand. But RGR and this match have nothing to do with each other. This is a completely different challenge.”

Kolisi agreed with Erasmus and said: “You always adjust for each team, but our core values are going to remain the same. Australia is completely different to New Zealand, so we’ll have to readjust certain things. It’s going to be a big challenge.”

Commenting on how the players were feeling after the long journey from the USA to Australia, where they are currently based in Terrigal north of Sydney, before making the trip to Perth next week Thursday, Kolisi said: “It’s been a long journey, but it was a great success in the USA, and being here in Australia now and preparing for this game is really important.

“It’s a team we’ve had some tough battles against, but training has been going well this week and it’s good being here in Terrigal. We’ve also seen a lot of South Africans coming out here to support us, which is great.”