Springbok prop Wilco Louw spoke warmly of his return to Loftus Versfeld ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship encounter with Scotland, despite having left Pretoria to join the Stormers at the end of the United Rugby Championship season. Louw, who will start alongside Boan Venter and Johan Grobbelaar in the front row, described the venue as a special place for both the Bulls and the Springboks.
"Loftus is a special place, not only for the Vodacom Bulls guys but for the Boks as well," Louw said. "It's always amazing to play there, and I'm looking forward to seeing the Bulls fans and even the groundsmen at the stadium."
The experienced prop acknowledged the pressure inherent in every Test match, regardless of caps earned. "There's always pressure regardless of how many Test caps one has," he said. "It's about how you handle the pressure, so that it doesn't get the better of you, and to focus on the task at hand."
Scotland flanker Rory Darge, meanwhile, identified the breakdown as a critical battleground for his side, who are chasing a first victory over South Africa since 2010. Darge singled out Paul de Villiers, who earned his first cap against England, as a particular threat. "I saw him going after the ball against England and really slowing down the ball and disrupting it," Darge said. "It's definitely a challenge, and they've got a mindset across their team to disrupt the ball."
The visitors arrived in South Africa following their opening-round victory over Argentina in Cordoba and will face a Springbok side featuring 10 changes from the England Test. The back row of Pieter-Steph du Toit, De Villiers and Evan Roos carries 171 combined caps, though 96 belong to Du Toit alone. Kick-off at Loftus Versfeld is scheduled for 17h40.