“We need to get that respect back from South Africa in terms of the way we played in some tough World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals against them over the years that have gone down to the wire. I’m looking forward to that,” said Wales head coach Warren Gatland.
“It’s going to be a real test of how much we’ve improved between our last game against them in the summer at Twickenham and our final outing in the autumn. As coaches we’ll be making sure that we’re well prepared before the players come in to train for the campaign.
“We’ll be crystal clear about how structurally we want to play on attack and defence, and what sort of game we want to play against first of all Fiji, then Australia and lastly South Africa. There will be slight adaptations over the course of the three games, so there’s a lot of planning around that for when the players first come in.
“We want to give the players clarity on what we want to achieve, particularly in that first week when they come together. We pride ourselves on working hard and that’s one thing that Welsh players never complain about – they’ve always had a good work ethic.
“That strong work ethic coupled with training hard gives them a self-belief and confidence. So it’s important that between now and then we’re clear about what systems and structures we want to implement.”
If Fiji and Australia will present tough, physical challenges, then the ‘Boks will take it up another level.
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Warren Gatland is mindful of South Africa’s strength at the set-piece
“The South Africans are always the most physical side to play against. You need to go out there and try to limit the amount of set pieces they have because they have an incredibly strong scrum,” said Gatland.
“They also have a strong driving lineout and massive forwards who get across the gain-line. You’ve got to be right on the edge physically, you’ve got to take the ball to them and stay in the fight.
“If you can do that you will get opportunities against them. I think they’ve changed in terms of what they’re trying to do as a team.
“And what impresses me is that they are really developing strength and depth in their squad, which is something they haven’t always done. Traditionally, they’ve been pretty regimented in terms of always picking the same older, more experienced players.
“But Rassi Erasmus is introducing different combinations and building real depth in his squad and I think that makes them better and even more dangerous for the future. In the past, we’ve had some good successes against South Africa.
“That’s been down to making sure that we’ve been in great shape physically. We’ve got to make sure we limit them going forward and not give them those set piece opportunities.
“If they get on the front foot, they try to get a penalty against you and then play territory and put you under pressure in your 22. How often you can stay out of your 22 is really important.”
