Springboks make special request ahead of All Blacks opener
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Respect.
The Springboks have made a special request to supporters ahead of Saturday’s eagerly anticipated series opener against the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus has called on the home crowd to remain quiet during the All Blacks’ Haka, allowing the famous pre-match tradition to be heard around the stadium.
Erasmus pointed to the reception New Zealand received ahead of their opening tour match against the Stormers in Cape Town as an example of what he would like to see in Johannesburg.
“We all know how big this is,” Erasmus said.
“I would love it if the people at Ellis Park … did the same as the guys in Cape Town, where it’s quiet, where we hear the haka 100%, because I think it’s something special.”
The request comes ahead of a huge occasion at Ellis Park as the two great rivals prepare to begin the Test portion of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
New Zealand have already spent more than two weeks in South Africa, completing their provincial programme with victories over the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls.
Attention now turns to the Springboks, with Saturday’s clash the first of four Tests between the sides.
The series will continue with further meetings in South Africa before concluding with a historic fourth Test in Baltimore in the United States.
