Rassie Erasmus, Springboks stoke the fire ahead of second Italy Test
Image: Backpagepix
It seems like Rassie Erasmus and his coaching staff have turned up the heat at training over the past few days ahead of the Springboks' second Test against Italy in Gqeberha on Saturday.
The Springboks looked like deers in the headlights at times in the second half of the first Test in Pretoria, as the second-string Italians matched them in the physicality department and even dominated the breakdown.
To add insult to injury, Italy also overpowered the Boks during a second-half maul which resulted in a try. And, if it wasn't for the Boks fantastic start in the first half, the final scoreline of 42-24 could have been a lot closer.
Flank Marco van Staden, one of the few players to retain his place in the starting side from the first Test, hinted that their training sessions since the first Test have been rather tasty.
The Springboks training sessions are brutal at the best of times, as they approach it with Test intensity. Basically, it's a case of "if we can handle our own intensity, then whatever the opposition brings won't scare us".
Van Staden expects Italy to deliver another fiery performance, especially at the breakdowns, where they managed to disrupt the Springboks' momentum. But the Boks plan to turn up the Nelson Mandela Bay furnace even more on Saturday.
'They showed last week what intensity they can play with, and we know that performance would have given them confidence, so we are prepared for another big battle this weekend,' Van Staden said.
'They place a big emphasis on the breakdowns last week and did well to disrupt us in that department, so we have to get it right this week to deliver a good performance.
'That said, the intensity of our training sessions this week were good, and I believe it prepared us well for the weekend. One thing's for sure, we know where we need to improve, and we've been working on that.'
The Springboks also want to put in a top performance to give Willie le Roux a proper gift on the occasion of his 100th Test match in the green and gold.
Veteran fullback Le Roux will become the eighth Springbok to play a century of Test matches when he runs out against Italy in Gqeberha.
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