Kurt-Lee Arendse, who made a strong statement in the Springboks’ opening Rugby Championship match against the Wallabies on Saturday, gave all the credit to his teammates for his remarkable hat-trick of tries at Loftus Versfeld.
The Boks started the season on a strong note with a convincing 43-12 win against Australia on Saturday, but they quickly put the victory behind them and focused on the next task, which is facing New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday.
A group of 21 players will travel to New Zealand on Sunday evening where they will join the small squad who were part of the forward party last week to acclimatise and get their preparations going for the match.
Commenting on his hat trick – which saw Arendse’s try-scoring statistics improve to 10 tries in eight Tests – the down-to-earth Springbok wing said: “It’s always special contributing to the team and playing in front of your home crowd while representing your country.
“We’ve grown as a team from where we were last year to where we are now. As a team we’d like to continue building on that, and for me personally, I’d like to continue learning and to implement those learnings in my game.
Kurt-Lee Arendse 🤝 isiXhosa commentary
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The guys were absolutely loving the Springbok victory over the Wallabies!
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“But I can’t take any credit for the tries. The forwards have been laying the foundation for us as backs to finish. It’s just great to contribute to the team.”
With the Springboks set to face the All Blacks – who defeated Argentina 41-12 in Mendoza in their opening clash in the southern hemisphere showpiece – on their home patch next, Arendse said they were looking forward to the challenge and that they were prepared mentally and physically for what lies ahead this week with the different time zones and short training week once they arrive in New Zealand.
“We are always looking forward to the next challenge,” said Arendse.
“New Zealand are a team you can never underestimate. The guys travelling today are ready to slot in with the players that are already there and to ensure that as a group we prepare really well for the match.”
