Rassie Erasmus has cautioned his Springbok squad to prepare for a fired-up Wallabies side when the teams meet at Optus Stadium on 27 September, describing the challenge as completely different to the battles against Argentina and New Zealand.
The world champions touched down in Australia on Wednesday morning local time after their series victory over the All Blacks, travelling from Baltimore via Dallas and Sydney before settling into their Terrigal base north of Sydney. The match marks the first encounter between the sides this year and carries added significance as a scouting mission for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which Australia will host. The Boks will return to Perth for their pool clash against Romania on 22 October 2027.
"Both Argentina and the All Blacks tested us thoroughly, and we have no doubt that we will be facing a determined Wallabies side that will want to put on a good show in front of their home crowd," Erasmus said. "They will present a completely different challenge to that which we have faced in the last few Test matches."
Finishing the tour on a high
The Springbok coach stressed his side's determination to conclude their current tour with a strong performance before returning home ahead of the away leg of the Nations Championship. Erasmus acknowledged the demanding nature of the travel schedule but underlined the importance of maintaining standards across all three fixtures.
"The Wallabies have been playing well, and we have no doubt they will come out firing in this match, which will require another full 80-minute performance from us to get the desired result next weekend," he said.
The Perth fixture represents the final hurdle in a gruelling stretch that has taken the Boks from Buenos Aires to Baltimore and now across the Pacific. How Erasmus manages his squad's recovery and rotation in the coming days will prove crucial, particularly with several players having logged heavy minutes across the Rugby Championship and the two-Test series in the United States. A slip in Perth would dent momentum heading into the European leg of the season, making the selection calls for Sunday all the more significant.