Rassie warns Boks of fired-up Wallabies

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus expects a passionate Wallabies side to provide a completely different challenge when the two sides clash in Perth later this month.

The Springboks arrived in Australia on Wednesday following their 3-1 series victory over the All Blacks and will now turn their attention to the one-off showdown at Optus Stadium.

After tough encounters against Los Pumas and the All Blacks, Erasmus knows the Wallabies will be determined to make their mark in front of their home crowd.

“We always knew how tough the matches against Argentina and in RGR against the All Blacks would be, and we factored that into our preparation,” said Erasmus.

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“Both Argentina and the All Blacks tested us thoroughly, and we have no doubt that we will be facing a determined Wallabies side that will want to put on a good show in front of their home crowd, and they will present a completely different challenge to that which we have faced in the last few Test matches.”

Erasmus expects Australia to attack the Test with intent.

“The Wallabies have been playing well, and we have no doubt they will come out firing in this match, which will require another full 80-minute performance from us to get the desired result next weekend.”

The Perth Test is also another important step in the Springboks’ preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, with the Boks set to face Romania in their third pool match in Perth next year.

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But before they can look that far ahead, Erasmus wants his squad to finish the current tour strongly.

The Boks travelled from Baltimore to Australia this week following a demanding run of matches and long-haul travel, making player recovery a key priority before training resumes on Friday.

“The players had a day off in Baltimore on Sunday before we embarked on the journey to Australia, and we obviously factored the impact the last three matches and the travel would have on the players in our planning,” Erasmus said.

Photo: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

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