Springboks assistant Mzwandile Stik warned his teammates that the Australian Wallabies could punish them for any minor mistake if they deviate from the planned tactics in the match scheduled for Perth on Sunday.
According to assistant coach Mzwandile Stik, the Springboks have formed a squad capable of countering any actions by the Wallabies in Perth. The South African team made significant changes to its lineup after defeating the All Blacks in Baltimore two weeks ago, giving many players a chance to prove themselves in the starting fifteen-man lineup; only Eben Etzebeth and winger Ethan Hooker retained their positions. The Bok coaches are pleased with the opportunity to see what the players can demonstrate.
Despite the changes, Stik believes that the world champions possess sufficient experience and quality to handle whatever Australia brings. However, he also stressed the critical importance of strictly adhering to their own game strategy at Optus Stadium (the match starts at 11:45 South African time).
Lessons from the Past Match
According to Stik, the Springboks learned valuable lessons from their loss to the Wallabies in Johannesburg in 2025. The team intends to avoid repeating this situation during this year's Southern Hemisphere final match.
He noted: 'We learned a lot from what happened in Ellis Park, probably about 20 minutes in, when you are leading by 24 points, and then you deviate from your plan.' He added that despite this, the opponent's squad presents a serious challenge. 'If you look at their backline, they have powerful runners in the center partnership with Hunter Pais and Leon Ikitau, and they included Joseph-Aukuso Suali on the flank, who is strong against drop play. This is a team that has shown that if you are not in form on game day, they can punish you.'
Stik also mentioned that the Wallabies won three of their last five matches, drawing one against Argentina, and energy has been revitalized in their team thanks to the new coaching staff, putting them in a good position. 'The main thing for us is to stick to what works and continue to improve.'
Stik stated that the Springboks must maintain discipline to not give the Wallabies chances, while expecting the hosts to play with renewed energy and confidence under the guidance of newly appointed coach Les Kiss. 'You are unlikely to see a list of players with more Championship matches than our players, and this is the team they chose. Probably, apart from one injury, I think it is the best possible team they could have chosen.'
He reiterated that for the Springboks, the key is focusing on achieving goals in the game, constantly developing their play, and improving in desired aspects. 'We are proud of how we defend, we are proud of our drop play, we are proud of our set positions.'
Sunday's match will be an opportunity for players getting a chance to continue developing the game in the direction the team aims for. 'We are happy for the players who get a chance after four tough weeks against the All Blacks (during the Rugby World Cup), especially players like Keenan Moody and Handre Pollard, who were close to playing in one of the matches and then got injured. I am also happy to see a player like Herschel Jantjes. He probably played only about 25 minutes this season, but he was brilliant in training, so I am very happy he gets a chance.'
