A fired-up Springbok rugby team will feed off the energy and gees generated by an expected capacity crowd of 87,436 supporters when they go full throttle for victory over arch-rivals New Zealand at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday, Ruan Nortje says.
The towering lock says it will be awesome to have thousands of fans in green and gold backing the Boks when they fight to open a 2-1 lead in the four-game series, which concludes in Baltimore on September 12.
SA Rugby officials said on Thursday the ticketing capacity for Saturday’s fixture, kicking off at 5.10pm, at the mecca of South African soccer had been set at 87,436 spectators.
Nortje says if the Boks are to succeed in their quest for victory, they must control the sky during fiercely contested lineout battles.
“It’ll just be awesome to have that many people supporting you, feeding off them, getting energy from them, and enjoying every moment,” Nortje said. “I think it’ll be an amazing experience.
“Last week was 56,000 people in Cape Town; this week it might be 87,000. We can only imagine how awesome that will be.
“No matter where we play, we know what we have to do and what we have to stick to.
“It’s about handling it when they put us under pressure and adapting as quickly as possible, especially when situations arise in the game.
“Fabian Holland (All Black lock) is a world-class player; he’s shown that the last two weeks.
“A lot of respect to him; it’s always a privilege to play against him.
“Some weeks they’ve got your number, some weeks you’ve got theirs, that’s the quality you’re up against.
“It’s about making sure that when we’re in camp we work as hard as possible, put plans in place to put them under pressure, and I’m sure they’ll have their own plans for this weekend too.
“The vibe has been really good in the Bok camp. It’s not very different to last week.
“We know they got the better of us in that first Test, and for us it’s all about sticking to our processes.
“We are working hard every week, and this week it’s the same.
“Just sticking to our processes, and when we work, we work as hard as possible.
“Our set piece was generally good in Cape Town.
“But we will never be satisfied with just good. We always strive to be as good as possible, and I think we just want to be better.”
Nortje, who has captained the Bulls on occasions, says the Boks must play as close to the laws as possible in the wake of the “walking around the scrum” controversy.
“I’m only captain at the Bulls at franchise level, so I can speak to that,” he said.
“You’ve got to understand where the referee is at in the game and how he’s communicating.
“Certain referees have different styles, different profiles, different ways of communicating and running the game.
“So it’s important to understand the person you’re working with, and what the best way and the best time is to talk to him, and when not to.
“If you feel like you’re not getting the rub of the green from the ref, for me it’s about standing back a bit, making sure you work through your own actions in the game.
“Play as close to the laws as possible, and then leave it to him to make his decision rather than putting too much pressure on him.”
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has opted for continuity in his selection for the third Test, making only four changes and one positional switch to his starting team for the clash.
The changes to the match-23 will see the front row of Ox Nche, Wilco Louw (both props) and Malcolm Marx (hooker) return to the starting team, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit and Deon Fourie switching to the replacements bench.
In another change, Cheslin Kolbe switches to fullback, and Kurt-Lee Arendse has been drafted onto the wing in the starting team.
- Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.