‘Full focus now on the All Blacks,’ says Moodie as Boks move on to next challenge
· Citizen
Despite a relatively poor performance, the Springboks got what they needed out of their one-off Test hit-out against Argentina in Buenos Aires over the weekend ahead of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks, according to utility back Canan Moodie.
The Boks struggled against an understrength Argentina, but eventually walked away with a 17-10 win, which was important in keeping their momentum ahead of facing their biggest rivals.
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A number of players also returned from injury, including Moodie himself, and that was also important in getting game time into them ahead of the first Test at Ellis Park next weekend.
“I think a lot of the boys coming back from injuries, you know, are not quite match fit yet, and I think getting 80 minutes in was very important, so we hopefully put our names in the hat (to be selected) for that All Blacks game,” explained Moodie.
“I think we’ve obviously got out of the game (against Argentina) what we wanted to get out of it, so now it’s full focus on the All Blacks series.
“They’ve played already against the Stormers (this past Friday), and have got another one against the Sharks (on Tuesday), so we’ll be dialled into whatever they’re doing and then prepare as best as we can.”
Argentina pressure
Moodie said that the pressure placed on them by Argentina and the fact that they were forced to grind out a win, will stand them in good stead if they are forced into a similar situation in the RGR series against the All Blacks.
“A lot of boys haven’t played in Argentina, and we knew it was going to be hostile. We had to stick to our guns, stick to our systems and at the end of the day, show a lot of character,” said Moodie.
“Our system was there backing us against obviously all the fatigue and the long ball in play and the hostile crowd. We stuck to our systems and that worked out for us.
“It was a massive grind, and it was always going to be difficult. Glad we got the win at the end. The Argentinians, they just never go away. We had to fight for it right until the end. It easily could have been a draw at the end, but glad we got the win.
“I think that was very important. It wasn’t easy, but you know, guys showed a lot of character and yeah, hopefully we can carry that into the Test series when it gets a bit tough, then we can dig deep and get the result.”
The All Blacks take on the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday and Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, before the first Test against the Springboks in Johannesburg next week Saturday, followed by a game against the Lions and then three further Tests against the Boks.