Manie Libbok said the Springboks were bracing themselves for a challenging outing against England in their Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park on Saturday, with the flyhalf expecting the visitors to arrive with intent.
Libbok acknowledged the historical difficulty of facing England, noting the consistent quality of encounters between the sides. "It's always a tough test against England – looking back, there have never been easy games against them," Libbok said. "They're coming here this weekend with quality individuals, a quality team, and over and above that, they are well organised and well-coached, so it's going to be a tough Test match."
The flyhalf expressed satisfaction with the Springboks' preparation after completing their main training block on Wednesday. He singled out England's Fin Smith as a creative threat, describing him as a player with strong running abilities who reads and controls the game effectively.
Libbok also reflected on his partnership with Damian Willemse, who will earn his 50th Test cap this weekend. "Damian and I come a long way," Libbok said. "We've been through age groups together, and spent almost four seasons together at the DHL Stormers, so we know each other really well and how to feed off one another. When we go onto the field, we don't have to say much because we have a good idea of what each one of us is going to do."