Tony Brown: Springboks aim to end 88-year Eden Park hoodoo against All Blacks

Springbok assistant coach Tony Brown said on Thursday that he was pleased with the way the team had settled in in New Zealand since arriving at their hotel in the early hours of Thursday morning and said there was a good vibe in the camp.

“The team travelled well,” said Brown. “Obviously, the first couple of days (after the long journey) are all about recovery and starting to get our plans together to get ready to take on the All Blacks.”

The Springboks touched down in Auckland shortly before midnight on Wednesday night and, after having a gym and recovery day on Thursday to clear the cotton wool feeling out of their heads, they returned to the training field for the first time on Friday in the first of two training sessions this week, before they switch into full-out Test-match mode on Monday.

Boks will have to dig deep

And the South Africans know that they will have to dig deep in the week ahead. The SA Rugby website reports that according to Brown, the team is preparing for their biggest challenge since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against the All Blacks in France when the teams meet at Eden Park in Auckland next week Saturday in the first of two Tests in New Zealand.

“I think it's probably the biggest game since the Rugby World Cup Final, so the players are excited,” said Brown. “The All Blacks are going to be desperate to win, and so will the Springboks, which should make for an amazing game.”

In that final of the international extravaganza, the Springboks edged their archrivals 12-11 to clinch back-to-back RWC titles and their fourth in the history of the competition, and with the All Blacks having last lost a Test match at their iconic Eden Park ground back in 1994, Brown expected the match-up to be another epic encounter.

How to break an 88-year hoodoo

Asked what the team had to do to break their hoodoo at Eden Park, where the Boks last defeated the All Blacks way back in 1937, Brown said: “We have to make sure we prepare well, be excited about the challenge, put our best foot forward on the day, and play as hard as we can when we get onto the field.”

The Boks may have won their last four matches against the All Blacks, and although Brown said playing in their backyard was always a challenge, he said they were looking forward to the contest.

“The feeling in the camp is mainly excitement,” he said. “The Eden Park record is on the line, and it’s an amazing opportunity for us to go out there and take on the challenge.”

Margins for error in Rugby Championship are very small

The former All Black flyhalf said the margins in the competition were very small, especially with all four participating teams having won a match in the first two rounds, but he was hopeful that they could take a step forward in their campaign on this tour.

“Every Test is important in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, and it’s always going to come down to one or two games, so hopefully we can win the key ones and make a push in New Zealand, and return to South Africa with some points on the board,” said Brown.