Fearless Wallabies aiming Bok whitewash
WATCH as Wallaby backs Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i and Tate McDermott speak about the rematch between the Springboks and Australia at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Sua’ali’i is adopting a “no fear” approach as the Wallabies strive to back up their epic win at altitude with another decades-long drought-breaking victory over the Springboks.
The Wallabies must quickly come down from the high of toppling the back-to-back World Cup holders 38-22 in Johannesburg to compete with the smarting Boks at sea level in Cape Town on Saturday.
Australia haven’t beaten South Africa in Cape Town since 1992.
But after shocking the Springboks for the first time at Ellis Park in 62 years, Suaalii says there’s no reason the Wallabies can’t deliver again in the Rugby Championship return bout.
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“No fear, I reckon, in my opinion. No fear,” Suaalii said before training on Monday.
“We’re just focused on ourselves. That’s all we can do.
“We know they’re going to bring their best for 80 minutes, so we’ve just got to prepare for 90.
“They’ll come out firing. We know that. After a loss, you tend to lick your wounds.”
The Springboks looked set to run up a cricket score after piling on three tries in the first 17 minutes in Johannesburg.
Suaalii is bracing for a similarly ferocious start from the Springboks this weekend.
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“The first [quarter] was quite frantic,” he said.
“The power shown, the skill. I’m really proud of the way we handled that situation. Those first 18 minutes were a whirlwind.
“But, after that, we stuck to what we could do, what we could focus on, and, honestly, I was just really proud of the way we fought back into the game.”
Finishing scrumhalf-turned-utility saviour Tate McDermott says Australia’s stunning triumph over the Springboks will mean little if the Wallabies don’t follow up with another big performance.
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“Obviously it was a really proud moment. It had been 60-odd years since we’d got a result at Ellis Park, so it was a huge occasion,” said McDermott, who again held his own on the wing after replacing the injured Dylan Pietsch in Jo’burg before taking over from starting No.9 Nic White to help ice the game.
“We’ve been talking a lot about how we’re trending in the right direction, and that was another step.
“But it doesn’t mean much if we don’t back it up this weekend.”
