It is all about the confidence that the Springbok coaching squad gives to the players. That message is what drives the younger, leaner Bok team that heads into the Nations’ Championship match against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
And while some may have questioned the side selected, and the danger that the changes to the team have brought, Springbok winger Canan Moodie isn’t one of them.
Moodie burst through the scene at 19, precisely because of the confidence that the Bok management gave him to play his game at a young age, and he believes heading into this weekend’s match it will be no different.
Meticulous preparation, a demand for high-quality output and a confidence that when you are well prepared, no opposition can beat you is a mantra that runs through this side. Some may see it as a gamble, to the players, they see it as an unbelievable chance to do something special.
ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE
“It is all about the confidence each team has because of the preparation you are given,” Moodie said about the selection.
“The coaches believe this group can do the job for this match, and the players trust each other. The big thing is that we know what to do because various match scenarios are presented to us. We feel we are ready for whatever Scotland can throw at us. Good preparation produces confidence.”
That means little should surprise them and it comes down to how they handle the pressure moments. And for coach Rassie Erasmus, that is exactly what he wants out of the game. There are promising players chomping at the bit for a chance to stake their claim for the World Cup. Scotland are an excellent test for pressure and they need to perform.
Last week at Ellis Park the Boks beat England in all aspects, but particularly in the aerial contest, with Damian Willemse supreme. This week the likelihood of rugby’s newest “setpiece” - as Erasmus calls it - being a focal point is given, and the players say they are ready.
WELL PREPARED
“We’re well prepped for the high balls,” Moodie said. “Every team has different tactics there. We’ve changed how we approach it while staying true to what’s worked for us for years, and we go out and execute our plan. If it doesn’t work, and they come with something different, we’ll try and resolve it.”
There is a danger in Scotland, especially with Finn Russell driving them forward, but it is a danger the Boks have prepared for. The notes they took on Scotland’s win over Los Pumas have been put into practice.
“They are dangerous with the ball in hand. Scotland are an attack-minded team, and they have the ball players to do that. We saw in the Argentina match that they are continuing to go wide. We will be well prepared for that.”
Moodie - like many of his teammates - credits the Bok training regime for the confidence, and believes players are ready when they take the field to face anything.
PUSHED TO THEIR LIMITS
“We train at such a high level that you get pushed to your limits. The young guys push you, and that brings the best out of you. Everyone is trying to prove themselves and get a chance to play at the weekend.”
That includes the younger players, who are pushing the Boks for places in the squad.
“No, they are not. As coach Rassie always says, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough, and I’m testament to that. The youngsters are definitely keeping to the standards of the Springbok training sessions, and sometimes raising them,” Moodie added.
Loftus is a cathedral of rugby, and the 1750m sign above sea level greets teams when they walk on. It matters, the sign says, and Moodie believes it does, if you can use the altitude the right way.
ALTITUDE IS REAL
“The altitude is real, but it is also about how you play; you want to make sure the visitors feel the altitude from the pressure you exert from your game plan,” he explained.
“You want to be really confrontational and put them under pressure in whatever you do, so that they feel that the altitude does matter. They must feel at the end of the game that they have played against a South African side.
“Loftus is a fortress we want to protect — it has been like that for the Bulls, but also for the Springboks, where we have had some good Springbok history.”
It is now up to this squad, the younger and fringe players, to protect that legacy, and to show how prepared they are. With World Cup spots on the line already more than a year out, there is pressure within and pressure from Scotland. How the Bok selection responds will be very telling.