Meyer: Wallabies will come out firing
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer believes his charges will have to weather an early storm when they collide with the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday.
Meyer said he expects the winless Wallabies will come out firing in the Rugby Championship showdown and will be eager to regain lost pride after their humbling 22-0 loss to the All Blacks.
"I know the psyche of the Australian rugby players. They will definitely come out with all guns blazing. They are a proud team and they have been together for quite some time,” said the Springbok coach.
Meyer, in his first season at the helm of the Springboks, has come under criticism after his team’s fortuitous 16-all draw with Argentina recently.
However, the pressure on Meyer pales in comparison to that his Australian counterpart Robbie Deans is under following Australia’s failed attempt at reclaiming the Bledisloe Cup.
"I have a lot of respect for Robbie Deans. He's very astute and a very knowledgeable guy so he'll know how to handle the pressure and I think the quality of a great coach is to take the pressure off the players.
"There is obviously a lot of pressure on them and we are probably the underdogs."
The Springboks will indeed be the underdogs as they haven’t beaten Australia since August 2010.
"We don't have a good record against them," Meyer conceded. "We have lost four out of four against them, and won one out of seven, which shows how tough it is to play against Australia.
"Even though New Zealand beat them quite convincingly they are still a quality side."
Deans, in contrast, said Australia's recent success against South Africa is irrelevant.
"At the end of the day it doesn't matter. The players understand that when you play the Springboks, you play a side that's always committed and you've got to earn everything you get, and it won't be any different on Saturday. The past is irrelevant," said Deans.
