Even though losing to the Wallabies in Perth was a bitter pill to swallow, the Springboks learnt several valuable lessons ahead of the 2027 World Cup, loose forward Jasper Wiese said.
The Boks went down 42-38 in a chaotic clash which saw the Wallabies down to 11 players at one stage after referee Andrea Piardi handed out a spate of yellow cards at the Optus Stadium.
It was a milestone match for the powerful loose for the powerful loose forward who won his 50th Test cap against the Aussies.
“We learnt some good lessons against the Wallabies,” Wiese said.
“You always want to win while learning, but sometimes a loss is maybe necessary, although it is never a good thing.
“Being 25 points down and losing the game by four points in a matter of 10 minutes, I think it shows what this group is about.
“Obviously, we were chasing the game a bit at the end there, but I think one or two more minutes (we could have won).
“But it’s always a dangerous thing.
“This loss will be sore, and well, it’s definitely sore for me to lose here.
“But I just think the fight’s going to be bigger.
“Everybody in this room just wants to give their best to South Africa, and for this jersey, so I’m convinced that we’ll come back stronger.
“We got to know the environment that we’re going to be in when we’re here for the World Cup.
“And obviously, the travel arrangements and stuff when we’re playing a few games in Perth, that’s valuable lessons that we can definitely take into next year.
“But yes, just proud of the boys, proud of the fight they showed, and this is such a special group. I think the last 15 minutes showed it.”
Wiese said he was privileged to reach a half-century of caps while playing with an amazing group of players.
“If you represent your country once, it’s a massive privilege, but to be able to do it 50 times is wonderful,” he said.
“This is an unbelievable group, and I am privileged to have done it with them.”
Johan Esterhuizen, who became the Boks’ 68th captain in this clash, also cut a disappointed figure when the final whistle blew
“It was pretty intense at the end,” he said.
“At one stage, we were concentrating on getting one try, then getting another, and taking it step by step.
“But as we said, we should never have been in that situation. We put ourselves there.
“I think the fans and people watching the game really enjoyed it, but we should be better and not get into such situations.”
Apart from the loss, Bok coach Rassie Erasmus will be satisfied with what his team achieved during a two-week stay in Australia for the one-off Test.
The squad spent a week in the small seaside town of Terrigal (approximately 90km north of Sydney) preparing for the Wallaby Test before relocating to Perth.
The time spent on Australian soil was part of Erasmus’ masterplan of growing accustomed to local conditions ahead of a bid for another World Cup title in 2027.
The Boks open their World Cup campaign against Italy in Adelaide on October 3, and return to Perth for their final pool game against Romania on October 17.
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