Canan Moodie: ‘We got what we wanted’ from Argentina as Boks turn focus to All Blacks

The Springboks took a hard-fought victory against Argentina this past weekend and are now switching focus to a four-Test series against New Zealand, according to utility back Canan Moodie. Moodie said the team achieved what it needed from the Argentina match and that returning players benefited from valuable game time.

Match purpose and squad minutes

Moodie described the Argentina Test as useful for players regaining match fitness. He said,

“We got out of that game (against Argentina) what we wanted to, so now it’s full focus on the All Blacks series.”

He added:

“I think a lot of the boys who returned from injuries aren’t quite match-fit yet, so getting 80 minutes (of game time) was very important.”

The Test also gave opportunities for other squad members: some players were able to bank important minutes and others, including Cameron Hanekom, were able to make a case for involvement against New Zealand.

Winning run and squad recovery

The victory over Argentina extended the Springboks’ run to a 12th consecutive win, the team’s coaching and medical staff now preparing for the upcoming series.

Several first-choice players returned from injury in the Argentina Test. The article names Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg as players who were able to make injury comebacks.

Captaincy and injury watch

The squad is monitoring Siya Kolisi after he strained his hamstring. The piece notes that Pieter-Steph du Toit or Eben Etzebeth are likely to lead the team if Kolisi is unavailable.

All Blacks series details and training camp

The Springboks will meet New Zealand across four successive weekends at the following venues and dates:

• Ellis Park, Johannesburg 22 August
• DHL Stadium, Cape Town 29 August
• FNB Stadium, Johannesburg 5 September
• M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA 12 September

The full training camp squad is set to return to the training field in Johannesburg on Friday and Saturday ahead of the series.

What the team takes forward

Moodie said the players showed character in the Argentina match and expressed hope the team can carry that into the Tests against New Zealand:

“It wasn’t easy, but the guys showed a lot of character, and hopefully we can carry that into the next Test series, and when it gets tough, we can dig deep and hopefully get the result.”