“Hurting” and “desperate” Boks looking to turn it around come Saturday.
Coach Rassie Erasmus did not sugarcoat his side’s feelings when speaking to the press upon their departure from OR Tambo on Saturday.
According the coach, the Springboks depart for their Australasian leg of the tournament “hurting”, “desperate” and “feeling the pressure”.
Earsmus and his side will be looking to bounce back in Brisbane, following a disappointing showing in Mendoza last weekend, where Argentina comfortably put them away 32-19.
“Whenever you lose there is pressure and we are feeling the pressure,” Erasmus said in a video posted on SA Rugbymag.
He went on to say, “The moment we think that people shouldn’t be happy when we lose against a team like Argentina, we shouldn’t be here.”
“That’s something we must cherish … if people are upset and sad when you lose, it shows they still care.”
“We are hurting and I can stand here and say pretty words, but it wouldn’t really help. The only thing that matters is what happens on Saturday.”
The Wallabies however, are not coming into the match full of confidence, after being drubbed by the All Blacks in their successive Bledisloe encounters.
“They’re maybe in an even worse position than us. In the two games they had, they played the world champions and they got given a proper hiding,” said Erasmus.
“They will be desperate and that will make them dangerous. We are also desperate, and we lost to a team that we didn’t want to lose to.
“It’ll be two teams trying their best to rectify the previous week’s mistakes. We’re ready and up for the challenge and the only way we’re going to get last week out of our minds is by winning.”