Springboks have 'tapped into' not so secret weapon's inside ...

Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick has revealed that his colleague Tony Brown’s inside knowledge of the All Blacks has come in handy in the build-up to Saturday’s Test between the teams in Johannesburg.

Brown, who is renowned as one of the world’s leading attacking coaches, has been in the news regularly of late as he has become a vital cog in the Springboks machine.

The New Zealander represented the All Blacks in 18 Tests between 1999 and 2001 before having various stints as part of Super Rugby outfit the Highlanders’ coaching staff.

And Stick feels Brown‘s presence in the Boks camp gives them an edge over their arch-rivals.

“Tony understands their DNA,” said Stick. “He played for them, and he’s coached alongside some of their coaches, so yes, we’ve tapped into that.

“They are a team that takes pride in what they do, so we are expecting them to come hard at us, but we’ll be ready for that. They keep the ball in hand as long as possible, but we are well-conditioned and know what to expect.”

He added: “We’ve selected a well-balanced side with players who can make a strong impact off the bench and which we believe can counter what they throw at us.”

The Boks have been boosted by the inclusion of star lock Eben Etzebeth, who was initially an injury concern, but he has been ruled fit and made it through training all week pain-free.

“He’s looking good, and we are confident that he’ll make a good impact,” said Stick.

“We’ve selected a strong team, and we have players like Pieter-Steph (du Toit), while Ruan (Nortje) has really grabbed his opportunity.

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“They all have a massive work rate, and that’s vital against a team like the All Blacks where you must play until the last second, so we are excited about the players we have on the bench.”

Meanwhile, Springboks skipper and flanker Siya Kolisi is excited to form a back-row trio with Ben-Jason Dixon and Jasper Wiese, who is set to make his first appearance of the year for South Africa after serving a suspension.

“Ben-Jason has a massive work rate, and we all know what Jasper can do,” said Kolisi. “It is exciting for us to see the competition in the squad for places with a guy like Ben-Jason coming through the ranks.”

The All Blacks have been boosted by the return of their former skipper, Sam Cane, to their run-on side and Kolisi is looking forward to going head-to-head with his old adversary.

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“He’s been a warrior for them for so many years, so it’s going to be a proper battle, especially among the loose forwards and in the set pieces,” said the Bok leader.

Kolisi is delighted to take on the All Blacks in Johannesburg and said the Boks’ fans are a huge driving force for them.

“Playing in South Africa makes a huge difference – it motivates us because we are playing for the people of South Africa and that drives us immensely as a team,” he added.

“The All Blacks are highly motivated for the match, but so are we. A good result will take us a step closer to winning the Freedom Cup.

“They’ve beaten us a lot in Johannesburg, but the Boks have a lot to play for, and that’s our focus as a team.”

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