Canan Moodie has backed the Springbok coaching staff's faith in a leaner, less experienced side to deliver against Scotland in Saturday's Nations Championship fixture at Loftus Versfeld.
The 25-cap winger, who will start on the left flank, said the belief shown by Rassie Erasmus and his management team had been central to the squad's preparation. Moodie burst onto the Test scene at 19 precisely because of the confidence afforded him, and he sees no reason why the same approach will not yield results this weekend.
"The coaches believe this group can do the job for this match, and the players trust each other," Moodie said at Thursday's press conference. "The big thing is that we know what to do because various match scenarios are presented to us. We feel we are ready for whatever Scotland can throw at us. Good preparation produces confidence."
Scotland threat and aerial battle
The visitors arrive off an impressive victory in Argentina and will be strengthened by the return of Finn Russell, one of the most creative playmakers in world rugby. Moodie acknowledged the danger posed by Scotland's back three, including Glasgow Warriors flyers Kyle Steyn and Kyle Rowe.
"They're a very attack-minded team, and they've got the ball-players to do that," he said. "On the weekend against Argentina they showed they like to play the ball wide. We've got to have a good prep and make sure we are ready for that."
One of the key contests is expected to be under the high ball, an area in which the Springboks excelled against England at Ellis Park last weekend. Moodie expressed confidence in the squad's aerial capabilities, adding: "I think we're all well coached and well prepared for the aerial game."
Fine margins and instinct
Moodie also reflected on the spate of yellow cards for intentional knock-ons that have punctuated recent fixtures, including Kurt-Lee Arendse's red card against England and his own sin-binning during the URC final against Leinster last month.
"It's very difficult," he said. "I think in Test rugby and at such a high level of rugby, there are literally milliseconds of decisions you have to make and sometimes it's instinct. You just react to it. In Test rugby those are the fine margins you work with."
The selection at Loftus represents a watershed moment for several players on the fringes of World Cup contention. Erasmus has earned the latitude to experiment, and the outcome will provide crucial data as he prepares to trim the squad to 33 for next year's tournament in Australia. For those taking the field on Saturday, the opportunity to stake a claim could not be clearer.