Deon Davids says the Springboks are not treating Saturday’s Argentina Test as a stepping stone to the All Blacks series.
Springbok assistant coach Davids has dismissed suggestions that the Test against Argentina is merely a warm-up for the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. Davids made his stance clear on Monday, ahead of the one-off clash in Buenos Aires.
“I don’t think we approach this as a warm-up,” he said. “We approach every Test match as a game that is important in terms of what we want to achieve.”
He added that the Boks take pride in their standards. Every match, he said, offers a chance to set new benchmarks.
The Springboks landed in Argentina on Sunday with a 26-man squad. Meanwhile, another group stayed behind in Johannesburg to prepare for the four-Test series against the All Blacks. Davids warned against underestimating the hosts on their own turf, reiterating they expect a gruelling encounter against Los Pumas.
“Argentina, especially in Buenos Aires, it’s always been a story of grinding it out,” he said. “If you come here with the mentality of seeing it as a warm-up, that’s a big mistake.”
Asked directly if the Test acts as a curtain-raiser for the All Blacks series, Davids was firm.
“Our focus is on Argentina, our focus is on this Test match,” he said.
The clash between the Springboks and Argentina kicks off at 21:00 (SAST) on Saturday night.
RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY FIXTURES
The All Blacks will play seven matches in South Africa on their ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ tour, including three Tests and four matches against provincial sides.
A fourth Test will take place in Baltimore in the United States on 12 September.
- Friday, 7 August: Stormers vs New Zealand, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town – 19:10
- Tuesday, 11 August: Sharks vs New Zealand, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban – 19:10
- Saturday, 15 August: Bulls vs New Zealand, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – 19:10
- Saturday, 22 August: First Test, Ellis Park, Johannesburg – 17:10
- Tuesday, 25 August: Lions vs New Zealand, Ellis Park, Johannesburg – 19:10
- Saturday, 29 August: Second Test, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town – 17:10
- Saturday, 5 September: Third Test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg – 17:10
- Saturday, 12 September: Fourth Test, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States – 23:00 (SA time)
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