Mzwandile Stick says the Bok coaching staff fully anticipated Mo'unga's return to the starting XV for the Baltimore decider, dismissing any suggestion it caught them off guard. His read is that the All Blacks will use Mo'unga to play with greater width and keep the ball alive more aggressively — a style shift the Boks have specifically prepared for. Stick's counter-message is familiar but pointed: enforce their own game, bring the physicality, and don't give a desperate All Blacks side the foothold they need. Kolisi added that the squad changes across the New Zealand lineup actually sharpened Bok preparation, forcing them to scout fresh threats rather than rely on habit. The broader framing from Stick is striking — four Tests against the same opponent in four weeks, he says, is as demanding as four consecutive World Cup finals.
Stick: Mo'unga's return was no surprise — Boks have done the homework
Stick says Mo'unga's selection was fully anticipated, and the Boks' focus for the Baltimore decider is enforcing their physicality rather than reacting to New Zealand's attacking width. He and Kolisi both frame the series as a unique pressure cooker — with the Boks clear they want the win, not a draw.
- Mzwandile Stick
- Springboks
- New Zealand
- Siya Kolisi
- Rugby World Cup
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