It will be a battle of wits between two of rugby’s brightest and sharpest brains on Sunday when Rassie Erasmus’s all-conquering Springboks face a revived Wallabies outfit who are on a four-game unbeaten streak under new coach Les Kiss.
Unlike many rival coaches, Kiss has the advantage of some insider knowledge on how Erasmus might go about preparing his team for Sunday’s showdown at the 62,000-seat Optus Stadium in Perth (kickoff 11.45am SA time).
The Wallabies coach got to know a young Erasmus when he was playing for the Springboks and Kiss was SA’s defence coach in 2001 and 2002.
“Rassie was in his final year as a player then when I was SA’s defence coach,” Kiss told ESPN.
“My first job in rugby was with SA and I learned rugby through the eyes of the Springboks.
“I got to know him (Erasmus) better when he was at Munster and I was in the Irish national set-up.
“As a player and a coach, he’s a very savvy operator.
“Rassie thinks of the game differently and is always true to himself.
“What he’s done with the national side is pretty special.
“It’s taken a lot of time to build, but he’s been backed, and he gets results when he needs them.
“Two World Cups in a row speaks to that.
“He’s also built unbelievable depth.
“Let’s face it, he’s got four first XVs and has quality and talent three or four deep in every position.”
Kiss says the Wallabies will not take a backward step against the world champions.
“We have the Springboks in front of us on Sunday,” he said.
“It’s a massive opportunity to challenge a fantastic team that is second to none in the world.
“An opportunity to challenge ourselves too.
“We won’t shy away; we’ll take it on.
“These 80 minutes will be a representation of where we’re at and who we are.
“Look at David Campese — unconventional, unconstrained, unpredictable. That’s the Wallaby way.
“The beauty of those skills is you understand the moment, you feel the game, you sense what’s important now.
“It’s a sweet spot that seems mysteriously out of reach until there’s enough firepower or brain power as a group to let it happen.”
Kiss says Australia will draw inspiration from a famous comeback win over the Boks at Ellis Park in 2025.
“The big thing in that game was that the Wallabies never looked beaten, even when the scoreline was not good (22-0 after 18 minutes).
“They kept coming.
“That belief and resilience is incredibly strong in this squad and it’s evolving every Test.
“We’ve got work to do, but take your eye off us, we’ll come back and bite you.”
A revamped Springbok team featuring Herschel Jantjies and Handre Pollard as the new halfback pairing has been named for Sunday’s showdown.
Erasmus has made 13 changes to his starting team, with only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retaining their places in the run-on team from the side’s 43-28 victory against the All Blacks in Baltimore.
It will be a landmark match for Bok No 8 Jasper Wiese, who will earn his 50th Test cap off the bench, and hybrid player Andre Esterhuizen will become the 68th player to captain SA.
“Each player in this squad has been working hard at training over the past few months and has had a chance to play in either the first leg of the Nations Championship or Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series,” Erasmus said.
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