All Blacks captain Ardie Savea says he “knows what’s coming” against the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday.
New Zealand head into the second Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series with a 1-0 lead after claiming a 33-16 victory at Ellis Park.
However, Savea expects a fierce response from the world champions.
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“We understand the wounded beast,” Savea said. “We understand when we do lose, everything is a lot more amplified, but that’s just the same thing as us.
“We don’t want to look back after the 80-minute whistle and sit there with our heads down.
“We’ve done our part to prepare well for this week, know what’s coming, but also know what’s required from us as a team to be able to respond as well.”
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Despite the comfortable final margin in Johannesburg, Savea admitted the All Blacks could not afford another slow start after the Boks dominated much of the first half without making their opportunities count.
“South Africa came out of the blocks – world-class team and physically dominant.
“I don’t think we’ll get away with that if we start like that again. So we need to turn up and also be accurate.
“We’ve just got to be accurate, stay disciplined and not let them into the areas of the field where they want to play.
“It’s all good me talking about it now, but we have to turn up.”
KOLISI: Experienced Boks must execute
The All Blacks skipper will again be at the heart of the physical battle against a Bok loose trio featuring Jasper Wiese and Pieter-Steph du Toit, with Siya Kolisi returning from a hamstring injury to captain the side.
‘Class. You saw what Jasper did last week. Pieter-Steph speaks for himself, and Siya – they all speak for themselves,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who plays, they’re world class.
“For us as loosies, what better way to test yourself against the best?”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Savea wary of wounded Bok beast appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea says he “knows what’s coming” against the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday.
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