While a clean sweep of their End-of-Year Tour beckons, both assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Siya Kolisi were quick to douse any notion of complacency, insisting that they will not underestimate the battling Welsh.

“We prepare for each game the same, and we treat every opposition team the same,” said Kolisi.

“Honestly, we don’t have a good record against Wales in Cardiff as this group.”

Mzwandile Stick - Morgan Piek

Despite the sentiment filtering through the Welsh media - that this match, pitting the World Champions against the 11th-ranked hosts, should be a walk in the park - the message echoing within the Bok camp is one of respect and unwavering intensity.

Kolisi drew a powerful comparison, reminding everyone that the Boks themselves have weathered similar storms.

“We’ve been in their position before, when in 2015 all the guys retired at the same time, and then we went through the 2016 and 2017 seasons before coach Rassie coach Stick, and many of the other coaches came into the mix,” he recalled.

“Every team goes through such seasons.”

The captain stressed that the Welsh, fresh off a tough outing against the All Blacks, will be desperate to make a statement.

“We all saw how well they played last weekend, and I think only later in the game New Zealand pulled away. So, we’re going to have to start with intensity and play within our standards.”

Stick, clearly focused on the bigger picture, echoed Kolisi's sentiments.

“It’s been a long tour, but the most important thing for us is to make sure that we finish strongly,” he emphasised.

Siya Kolisi - Morgan Piek

“We probably won’t be together for the next six to seven months, so we want to make the most of this opportunity.”

Stick highlighted that the influx of young, hungry players into the Welsh setup makes them particularly dangerous.

“A lot of their younger players are getting opportunities, and they’ll also want to impress their coaches, so they’ll give everything they’ve got.

“We can’t take things for granted.”

The presence of the legendary Duane “Thor” Vermeulen on standby - serving as a Mobi-unit coach - was a major talking point. 

Duane Vermeulen - Morgan Piek

Kolisi lauded his veteran wisdom: “It’s good to have him as a coach... even at 39 years old, it’s nice to train against him, because he can still set a maul, he hits the rucks hard, and he challenges us at the breakdowns.”

Quizzed on the now-infamous seven-one split on the bench, Stick remained unfazed, pointing to the versatility of his squad. Cobus Reinach, Ben-Jason Dixon, and Kwagga Smith provide vital backline cover.

“We’ve always been vocal about Kwagga as backup for us, especially with his skillset coming from a Sevens background,” Stick explained.

“I’d like to thank everyone back home for all the support throughout the season, and those who travelled on tour, because we always felt their presence,” Stick concluded.

Kick-off between Wales and the Springboks at the Principality Stadium is at 17:10.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport