The emotions of playing his last Test match on home soil have been put aside for after the Springboks’ match against the All Blacks by Bok captain Adriaan Strauss.
The Boks square up against the old rivals‚ New Zealand‚ at King’s Park on Saturday. The match kicks off at 5pm.
The last match of the Rugby Championship for both sides this season will also be the last time Strauss runs out in front of the home crowd before the hooker bows out of international rugby at the conclusion of the Boks’ year- end tour to the United Kingdom and Italy.
Last weekend Strauss played his last test at his provincial home‚ Loftus Versfeld‚ where he turns out for and leads the Bulls in Super Rugby.
Even then he tried to shelve the emotional aspect of the occasion aside. But the 30-year-old Bok captain was a ball of emotions after putting in a stellar performance which led to victory against the Wallabies.
Strauss stressed on Friday how his focus was on getting the team ready and plotting to end the All Blacks’ 16-match winning streak when the two sides meet in Durban.
“It is my last one in South Africa‚” Strauss said.
“It is not emotional for me‚ it’s all about playing the All Blacks tomorrow‚ the current best team in the world. So all focus and energy is there‚ no time for emotions. We are focusing on a massive game tomorrow.
“My personality is task-driven. The moment there is a task at hand‚ that is where my energy goes. The moment you get that release‚ when the final whistle goes‚ only then do the emotions take over.
“For now‚ there is no time for emotions.
“Just now I was in a video session‚ just making sure we are on top of everything‚ making sure the detail is there and my (lineout) calling will be in place‚ and that I make the right decisions at the right time... That is where my mind is at the moment.”
The match will be Strauss’s 63rd in the green and gold.
Even coach Allister Coetzee is expecting nothing less than a good performance from his captain‚ with emotions taking a back seat.
“We won’t allow emotions to come into this‚” Coetzee said.
“I think Adriaan understands his job and responsibilities. I’m not looking for anything other than another good performance like he put up last week against the Aussies – he was really outstanding.
“He is a guy that is responsible for the great set piece that we are experiencing this year.”
Bok captain Strauss: 'All the focus and energy is there‚ no time for emotions'
The emotions of playing his last Test match on home soil have been put aside for after the Springboks’ match against the All Blacks by Bok captain Adriaan Strauss.
The Boks square up against the old rivals‚ New Zealand‚ at King’s Park on Saturday. The match kicks off at 5pm.
The last match of the Rugby Championship for both sides this season will also be the last time Strauss runs out in front of the home crowd before the hooker bows out of international rugby at the conclusion of the Boks’ year- end tour to the United Kingdom and Italy.
Last weekend Strauss played his last test at his provincial home‚ Loftus Versfeld‚ where he turns out for and leads the Bulls in Super Rugby.
Even then he tried to shelve the emotional aspect of the occasion aside. But the 30-year-old Bok captain was a ball of emotions after putting in a stellar performance which led to victory against the Wallabies.
Strauss stressed on Friday how his focus was on getting the team ready and plotting to end the All Blacks’ 16-match winning streak when the two sides meet in Durban.
“It is my last one in South Africa‚” Strauss said.
“It is not emotional for me‚ it’s all about playing the All Blacks tomorrow‚ the current best team in the world. So all focus and energy is there‚ no time for emotions. We are focusing on a massive game tomorrow.
“My personality is task-driven. The moment there is a task at hand‚ that is where my energy goes. The moment you get that release‚ when the final whistle goes‚ only then do the emotions take over.
“For now‚ there is no time for emotions.
“Just now I was in a video session‚ just making sure we are on top of everything‚ making sure the detail is there and my (lineout) calling will be in place‚ and that I make the right decisions at the right time... That is where my mind is at the moment.”
The match will be Strauss’s 63rd in the green and gold.
Even coach Allister Coetzee is expecting nothing less than a good performance from his captain‚ with emotions taking a back seat.
“We won’t allow emotions to come into this‚” Coetzee said.
“I think Adriaan understands his job and responsibilities. I’m not looking for anything other than another good performance like he put up last week against the Aussies – he was really outstanding.
“He is a guy that is responsible for the great set piece that we are experiencing this year.”
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