But Damian de Allende still wary of All Blacks backlash at Ellis Park
Steven Kitshoff believes the players' acceptance of the Springbok blueprint helped turn the tide.
Image: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The Springboks have first-hand experience of the type of slump the All Blacks are now enduring.
They too hit the skids as recently as 2016 and 2017 with their nadir arriving at the hands of the All Blacks in a 57-0 humiliation in Albany.
A change of coaching staff helped turn the tide and the Boks haven't just won a Rugby World Cup and a series against the British and Irish Lions since, they now get to start favourites in Tests against their old adversaries.
Loose head prop Steven Kitshoff, in the build-up to this weekend's Test at Ellis Park, was asked to put his finger on what brought about the change in fortune.
Consistency key
“Convince everybody to align with the plan and play a certain brand of rugby that will get us to win Test matches,” recalled Kitshoff about the environment Rassie Erasmus (then coach) and Jacques Nienaber tried to create.
“It was the buy-in from the squad. The consistency they had in the way they talked, the way they coached, in the way they motivated us to play a good game of rugby is what stood out for me since that 57-0 loss,” explained Kitshoff.
Inside centre Damian de Allende explained the building blocks in the team's restoration of confidence started in the series win against England in 2018 before an away win over New Zealand further emboldened the side.
“In that first Test against New Zealand we were 14 points behind. Against England, Jacques asked us to go harder (the Boks came from behind to win 42-39) and make decisions that didn't put us under pressure. Luckily we went on to win our first Test against New Zealand since 2014 and the first one there for a while.”
Bok star on the rise
The Boks have of course gone on to greater heights. As their star went on the rise, the All Blacks' has started to fade.
The Springboks haven't just closed the gap on their traditional rivals, they have shot past. Many believe the 26-10 did not adequately reflect the Springboks' domination in Mbombela last weekend.
De Allende, however, left no doubt that while the Springboks' star is in higher orbit, their feet are on the ground.
“Just to beat them in SA we take a lot of confidence but we also know what they can bring to the field. They also like playing at Ellis Park. The last time we played them there in 2015 just before the World Cup they beat us. I know NZ will come back a lot stronger,” said De Allende.
