Cape Town – Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids says beating England in their last Test of the End of Year Tour will be a “big reward” for the players after a tough season.
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The Boks are preparing for the clash at Twickenham against Eddie Jones’ side after beating Wales and Scotland in their first two tests of the Outgoing Tour.
Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, the forwards coach explained that a win in their last Test of the 2021 season will also set the team off on the the right foot heading into next season.
“Every Test match that we play is important for us. Being No 1 in the world and staying there next year is something that drives the players,” Davids said.
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“They go out there to do their best and represent their country to the best of their ability. Playing a Test match against any country in the world, on any given day, is important to us, and the players will do their best.
“It is special to play England at Twickenham at the end of the year. We are really looking forward to it to end it off on a high note. There have been a lot of challenges this year, and it will be a big reward to end the year off like that. I think that will motivate the players.”
While playing England is always a massive occasion, Davids added that they won’t be going into the clash viewing it as a repeat of the 2019 World Cup final.
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“Our focus is on winning the Test match. We have set ourselves a goal coming into this tour to make sure we get momentum for next year. Because it’s a Test match, we have exactly the same approach going into this match this week.
“We are lucky that all the players are available,” Davids said when asked whether there are any niggles in the squad following the game at Murrayfield. “We are going to have a training session this week and everybody will be on the field.”
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On Monday, World Rugby announced the nominations for the Player of the Year award, with not a single Springbok player on the nominees’ list, while Bok coach Jacques Nienaber was also absent from the coaches category.
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When asked about it, Davids said: “We respect the process and the committee who decides and knows what they’re looking for. Obviously they make their decisions according to that, so we congratulate everybody who was nominated and wish them good luck,” Davids said.
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