Morne van den Berg came off the bench in Cape Town for his first taste of Test rugby against the All Blacks, and the experience has only sharpened his appetite for Saturday's third Test at Soccer City, with the series locked at 1-1.
Speaking at a media conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday, the 28-year-old scrumhalf said New Zealand's attacking volume was unlike anything he has encountered in his nine Springbok appearances. "They were definitely the side that attacked the most that I've played against, but the system is there for a reason — if you stay in the system it'll protect you, and I felt that over the weekend."
Van den Berg spent most of his 25 minutes in Cape Town in defensive mode, touching the ball at just three rucks, but he was satisfied with how the Boks imposed their breakdown structures. On neutralising Cam Roigard specifically, he favours a team-based approach over man-marking. "Cam is a very good player, but then you just refer back to your system. As a scrumhalf it's really difficult if your pack is going back, so for us it's just to put more pressure on them as a team rather than focus on him as an individual."
Saturday's Test carries added personal significance. Van den Berg is a Johannesburg native — Linden High School, Lions supporter, grew up idolising Ricky Januarie and André Pretorius — and Soccer City is where he made his Lions senior debut in 2020. He has played Tests in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Durban, but never before in his home city. "Very excited to play there. It's an absolutely incredible stadium. Also very excited to play a Test in Johannesburg."
He acknowledged that facing the All Blacks was a childhood ambition rooted partly in admiration. "Growing up, Dan Carter was the rock star of rugby and they've always had these incredible athletes and skills. If you're a kid in South Africa you're dreaming of playing for the Boks against the All Blacks — you admire them, but then you also really want to test yourself against them and beat them."
Van den Berg has yet to lose in a Springbok jersey across all nine appearances.