Having missed both losses against Australia in 2021, recalled veteran Frans Steyn is determined to help the Springboks end a losing run Down Under.
Steyn will make his first Test appearance of the year off the bench in Adelaide as the Springboks look to end their wretched run against the Wallabies in Australia on Saturday.
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The Boks have not tasted victory over the Wallabies on Australian soil since 2013, when they claimed a 38-12 win in Brisbane.
Only four players in the Springbok squad currently on tour in Australia, featured in that match: Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen and Willie le Roux.
While Steyn was unable to pinpoint the exact reasons for the Boks’ struggles in Australia, the 34-year-old said Saturday is an excellent chance for them to end their losing streak.
“I thought we struggled a bit more over here than we did in New Zealand back in the Super Rugby days as well, but I am not sure what the reason was for that,” said Steyn.
“Luckily, we have an opportunity to do something special here this weekend, and hopefully we can achieve that. It certainly would be a big achievement for the team, especially since it hasn’t happened often.”
Springbok lock Lood de Jager agreed with his teammate, adding that it definitely was not a case of the Boks treating the Wallabies as inferior opponents.
“We don’t underestimate Australia at all, and we haven’t in the past,” said De Jager.
“As Frans said, we have an opportunity as a team to achieve something special that not many Springbok teams have done here, and we’ll do everything we can this week to get it right.”
One particular area of the game that the Springboks will look to improve on is their lineouts and mauls, which were both superbly handled by the All Blacks in the previous round at Ellis Park.
“Credit to the All Blacks – they had good plans against us [in the lineouts], but we learned lessons from that, one of which is that one always needs a plan B,” said De Jager.
“That said, we have been working hard this week and hopefully we can be a little more versatile if the need arises this week.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
