Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese is confident that the Boks will become stronger from their defeat to Australia ahead of the Nations Championship in Europe in November.
The Springboks will depart Australia late on Monday night (local time) to return to their clubs and provincial unions, and will begin their preparations for the northern hemisphere spectacle in October.
While Wiese, who made his Test debut in 2021, did not hide his disappointment about the result, he adopted a positive attitude to the team’s way forward.
“The fire is going to be bigger,” said Wiese.
“I think everybody in this group just wants to give their best for South Africa and for this jersey, and I’m convinced we’ll come back stronger.”
The Boks entered the break trailing 17-24, which became 17-42 after 65 minutes, but clawed their way back late in the second half, eventually suffering the four-point defeat.
Wiese, who joined the fray in the 48th minute, lauded the fight the team showed and said it shows what the group is about.
“Obviously, we were chasing the game at the end, but I think if there were one or two more minutes maybe we could have swayed that, even though it’s always a dangerous thing to say,” said the powerful loose forward.
“That said, I’m proud of the boys and the fight they showed, and the last 15 minutes of the match should give us something to build on.”
The result may not have been in the Boks’ favour, but Wiese said playing his 50th Test remained a special honour: “To represent your country once is a massive privilege, but to be able to do it 50 times is something great.
“This is an unbelievable group, and we’ve been through a good journey together, although we didn’t get the result. I feel for the guys because they had a good opportunity yesterday, but it’s still an incredibly special experience for me personally.”
Wiese was also grateful for the opportunity the match offered the team with an eye on their preparations for the Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted in Australia next year.
“We got to know the environment that we’re going to be in and how the travel arrangements will work, so playing here was very valuable and something we can take into next year,” he said. “We always want to win while learning, but unfortunately sometimes that’s not the case.”
The Springboks will face Italy (Saturday 7 November), France (Friday 13 November), and Ireland (Saturday 21 November), before the Nations Championship Finals Weekend in London, which will be hosted in London between 27 and 29 November.
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
