Springboks must beat All Blacks in Cape Town to keep series alive
Australia’s Angus Gardner will referee Saturday’s second Springboks v All Blacks Test at DHL Stadium after Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli fell ill. South Africa need a response after New Zealand’s 33 - 16 win at Ellis Park gave the visitors a 1 - 0 lead in the four Test series.
The second Test between South Africa's Springboks and New Zealand's All Blacks in Cape Town is crucial for both teams, as the Boks cannot afford to lose and maintain the four-Test series. With New Zealand leading the series after their 33-16 win at Ellis Park last weekend, the Boks face a daunting challenge. The All Blacks will face a wounded Springbok side, having lost 22-17 to the British & Irish Lions in their opening Test and previously to Ireland in the pool stages at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
However, the Boks have a proven track record of bouncing back from setbacks, as evidenced by their recovery from a 38-22 defeat to Australia earlier this year and their recent retention of the Rugby Championship title. Springbok prop Thomas du Toit emphasized the importance of putting the Ellis Park defeat behind them and using the lessons learned to improve.
New Zealand coach Dave Rennie expects the Boks to be frustrated after their loss but warns that they will need to improve if they are to repeat their success in Wellington. Both teams recognize the significance of the match, but the Boks must focus on their own performance to secure the series.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
