The Springbok have vowed not to underestimate their opponents, Japan, when the two nations clash in the November Internationals at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday.
The team said it’ll instead stick with its own game and standards displayed in previous clashes against some of the top ranked countries.
Japan shocked the Springboks 34-32 during the pool stages of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, under the guidance of current coach, Eddie Jones.
The caution was made by the team’s assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Siya Kolisi, during a media briefing on Friday in London before the start of the team’s five-match tour.
“We have a lot of respect for Japan – they showed what they can do last week when they faced Australia and only lost by four points.
They are a well-organised team with good coaching staff, so we know it’s going to be tough.
We dug deep into their profiles this week because they have very dangerous backline players, and a strong pack as well,” said Stick.
Stick warned that despite not having the same size and physique as the hefty Bokke, they have a strong heart and willingness to beat their opponents.
They don’t stand back for anyone, so the key for us will be to pitch up properly and execute our game plan well because they also want to win, while we’d also like to get a good start to what is going to be a long tour,” explained the assistant coach.
Kolisi echoed Stick’s sentiment, adding that the team will treat Japan with all the respect that they deserve.
“We all saw what they did last week against Australia, who beat us earlier this year, and one could see how tight that match was.
“We have a few players who play in Japan, and who have warned us about some of the players we will be facing, so our preparation has been good, and we feel well prepared for this game.
“We’d also like to start our tour on a strong note, so we don’t see this as a warm-up game at all,” remarked Kolisi.
The Boks captain said he learned valuable lessons in the three previous encounters against Japan.
“The first match against them as a group (in 2019) is the one we could really consider because it was completely different in 2015.
But what we’ve learned is that we need to be who we are as South Africans, so we must try to dominate the game physically and control the breakdown because they play fast rugby.
They are also a team that doesn’t go away.
They are very effective, well structured, and they know their systems well, so it will be about the team that can impose themselves on the day,” warned Kolisi.
The Boks will also face France, Italy, Ireland, and Wales as part of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour in the next four weeks.
