Brendan Venter says the Springboks’ win in Wellington will give them genuine belief that they can beat the All Blacks again.
The former Bok centre and technical adviser said before the match that he thought the Boks had a chance of causing a big upset, based on their one-point loss to the All Blacks at Newlands in their previous meeting last year.
‘After talking to the boys in the dressing room after the Cape Town Test, there was a distinct feeling that we were better than the All Blacks on the day,’ Venter wrote in his latest column for stuff.co.nz. ‘Although the result didn’t swing in our favour, the performance gave the players the belief that they could beat the All Blacks in the near future.’
Venter said the Boks’ 36-34 win last Saturday gave them a result to back up that belief.
‘As Handré Pollard said post-match, relief has now turned into belief. There is genuine belief and a sense of confidence among the Springbok players that they can defeat the All Blacks, who aren’t invincible.
‘The All Blacks are still a better side than the Springboks because their players boast far more Test caps and experience than their South African counterparts.
‘However, the one thing you can now never take away from the Boks is the belief that every time they take to the field against the All Blacks, they can come out on the right side of the scoreboard.’
Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
