Despite the All Blacks team potentially gaining unprecedented experience adapting to South African conditions during their tour, All Blacks legend Josh Cronfeld warns that past form is irrelevant when two major rugby giants clash at Ellis Park this weekend.
In an exclusive interview with IOL, provided by Betway, Cronfeld noted that the home field advantage will play a huge role. He stated that one cannot arrive in any host country expecting an easy victory; as soon as players step onto that ground, opponents gain strength, and the level of intensity becomes completely different.
Before this confrontation, the All Blacks had a successful start to the tour, defeating the Stormers 38:21 on August 7th. Following this, they quickly found their rhythm, beating the Sharks 54:0, and then surpassing the Bulls 50:19.
On Saturday, the New Zealand team will face the Springboks in Johannesburg as part of the first of four intense matches against South Africa over the next month. Cronfeld, who played for the All Blacks more than 50 times between 1995 and 2000, believes that no arena in world rugby compares to the atmosphere of Ellis Park.
He explained that succeeding in South Africa will be difficult. According to him, when you step onto the Ellis Park field, 85,000 people begin to shout and roar loudly. The sound and noise instantly affect you, similar to turning up the bass in a car—you feel this rhythm hitting right through you. It is very intense, but it is also great because it motivates playing magnificent rugby.
Cronfeld added that when you are on foreign soil, you are an enemy, and the South Africans live and breathe this energy.