Jasper Wiese says a Springbok victory in Saturday's Rugby Greatest Rivalry series finale against the All Blacks at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore would be a special achievement for a squad that has already claimed a World Cup and a Lions series.
The Boks lead the three-match series two-one, meaning a win or draw clinches the title outright. A New Zealand victory would result in a shared trophy.
Wiese, who runs out in his 49th Test on Saturday, also set a new record last week for most Test starts in a loose trio alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit and Siya Kolisi. "I actually didn't know about the record until we saw it after the game, but yes, it's special. We're great friends, and that makes it so much more amazing," he said.
With the 2031 Rugby World Cup set to be hosted in the USA, Wiese acknowledged the importance of the occasion for the sport's growth in the country. "For the fans who are there this weekend, they're going to see some great rugby from both teams who just want to go out there and give it their best."
On the absence of injured All Blacks captain Ardie Savea, Wiese was measured. "Their other loose forwards have a lot of experience and have played in big games, so we will show our opponents as much respect as possible."
He also noted the historical context: the last time New Zealand toured South Africa was in 1996, and the All Blacks won that series.
Assistant coach Deon Davids highlighted the set piece as a key battleground throughout the series. "We were under no illusions that it was going to be very important to have a good set piece. The hard work we've been putting into the scrums, the lineouts, and the mauls is starting to show now," he said, while adding that the squad continues to look for further improvement in pack cohesion.
The Boks completed their first field session on Tuesday following a recovery day of boardroom sessions on Monday after the long travel to Baltimore. The match kicks off at 17h00 local time (23h00 SA time).