The Springboks are determined to make the nation and their fans proud as they hunt the Rugby Championship title in their final match of the competition against Argentina at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
The Boks last won the tournament in 2019, and with the side tied on 14 log points with New Zealand going into the closing match of the series on Saturday, they will know exactly how many log points and by what points’ margin they need to win to clinch the title when they take to the field.
ALSO READ: Pieter-Steph honoured to be back where it all started
Star Sharks wing Makazole Mapimpi knows the ground well having played his rugby in Durban since 2018 and is thrilled about the prospect of battling it out for the title in front of a sold-out stadium which would make a series triumph even more special.
“It’s very important for us as a team and for the fans to win the competition and see things come together. We played a few games away from home, and it’s great to be back and have a chance to win the Rugby Championship, so we are looking forward to Saturday,” said Mapimpi.
Mapimpi admitted that Argentina’s physicality was a big weapon of theirs, and that their strong forward play laid the platform for their exciting backs, who posed an equally challenging threat.
“Similarly to their forwards, their backs are physical, and that is something we’ll need to try to match in the game. For us, we need to make things personal, and we need to be at our best,” said Mapimpi.
All or nothing
With it an all or nothing match, there would normally be plenty of pressure on the team, especially with the high expectations that SA fans and pundits have of the team, however Mapimpi believes that the game is just another day at the office.
“I wouldn’t say there is pressure on the team, we are just doing our jobs. There are a lot of things we still have to work on, and we’ll do that in this week,” said Mapimpi.
The All Blacks v Wallabies kicks off at 9:05am (SA time) on Saturday morning, with the Boks v Pumas match kicking off at 5:05pm.
