The Springbok assistant coach, Duane Vermeulen, has warned that Sunday’s End-of-Year tour Test against Scotland will be anything but a walk in the park.

The Boks will face the Thistles at the home of Scottish Rugby, Murrayfield, on Sunday in their first Test on tour. 

The Scots have already played a Test in their Autumn series while the Springbok have only been together for just more than a week.

The Cheetahs legend and two-time World Cup winner, Vermeulen, said it’s hard to tell if this Scotland team is better than the one they faced at the Rugby World Cup in France last year, but they know the hosts will be fired up and they need to be wary of that. 

“Well, possibly, I can’t tell you that only Sunday will tell,” said Vermeulen.

“They’re definitely going to be up for it – it’s a home match, and it’s home ground in front of their people. It’s not playing in a neutral stadium, so obviously you would like to be up for it. When you play at home and you have got that pride within you.

“There are a couple of guys that they brought into the squad, and they have been playing well at their franchise level. If you look back at last year’s United Rugby Championship champions, it is the Glasgow Warriors, so they are definitely doing something right over here in Scotland.

“We need to be wary of what we are going to get on Sunday.”

Duane Vermeulen. Photo: Morgan Piek

Vermeulen added that while they are the back-to-back World Champions are also in the process of building on their squad and depth as they work towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup that will be played in Australia.

“We actually experimented quite a bit as well, Vermeulen added.

“I think if you look at Ruan Nortjé, he was not even in the mix at the beginning of the year and, we obviously lost out on a couple of locks and we had to look elsewhere and he obviously played really well.

‘There is still a long journey to go to the next World Cup’

“But I think out of a squad of 45 guys, I think we use 40 or 39 out of 45 guys. So, we did experiment quite a lot, gave guys the opportunity and to see where they are during the year, give guys a little bit of a taste of international rugby and to see where they are in their rugby journey.

“So, I think the coach has kind of got a package or got a view of what guys can do and who is still not there yet. If you are looking forward there is still a long journey to go to the next World Cup and, ja, we’re also busy building and getting the right guys in the right spots to get your perfect team at the end of the day.”

Sunday’s eagerly anticipated Test between Scotland and South Africa in Edinburgh kicks off at 18:10.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh