Pretoria — The Springbok back-three did not get any special instructions from their teammate Makazole Mapimpi about what to do with Aussie winger Marika Koroibete if he does start for the Wallabies in the opening Rugby Championship match in Pretoria.
But wingers Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse, along with fullback Willie le Roux, will be ready for whatever the Australian outside backs will bring when South Africa’s first test of the Rugby World Cup gets underway on Saturday (kick-off 5:05 pm).
Mapimpi and Koroibete caused some sparks when they faced each other in Australia in last season’s Championship, but Mapimpi will be absent from Saturday’s clash as he traveled to New Zealand this week with a contingent of his teammates and coaches to acclimatise in Auckland.
This opened the door for Moodie and his Bulls teammate Arendse to form a trio with the Bulls’ new signing Willie le Roux, and it can give Pretoria a first taste of what the three can do when playing together at Fort Loftus.
The 20-year-old, who burst onto the international scene last season, says he feels a lot more at ease having been through a couple of camps and training with the Springboks. And he is looking forward to running out on Saturday.
“I am much more aligned now than when I came in during test weeks last year,” the speedster said on Wednesday.
“I’ve learnt the values of the Springboks and as a player, I’ve grown this year. I am excited to get back out there and do the country proud and wear the jersey with honour. It’s exciting to play with Kurt-Lee and Willie. I’ve played with Kurt-Lee a lot and we know each other quite well.
“For me as a youngster to have a guy like Willie, who is vastly experienced and has played all around the world. He’s got bundles of wisdom and knowledge to share with us. Being able to play with him this weekend, but also at the union, I’m learning from him as much as I can.”
Although the Bulls went through a dip this year, having been knocked out of the United Rugby Championship in the quarter-final, and losing a bunch of games in a row, Moodie believes it’s a season that can only benefit his career. Especially after he had a “dream” first season of URC rugby in Pretoria.
He says the hiccups he experienced with the Bulls were part of a process where his character was built. This will equip him to deal better with what the Australians and other international teams have up their sleeve for him.
“It’s a new season, and they (the opposition) probably know a bit better now (about him). They probably did their analysis on what we can bring, and we did the same with them. We won’t know yet who is playing, but we did our homework on what they can bring. We must put pressure on them.”
IOL Sport
