Hooker Bongi Mbonambi says South Africa have pinpointed where they fell short in the demoralising 30-17 defeat by Australia and are determined to bounce back in the Rugby Championship clash with old foes New Zealand.
The match at Townsville will be the 100th between the Springboks and All Blacks since their first in 1921, and the 'Boks will go in as underdogs, despite their status as world champions.
The second of back-to-back losses to Australia was arguably their poorest display in years, with the players appearing mentally fatigued and were beaten in every facet of the game by the Wallabies.
"We have gone through the game, we recognise our mistakes and that there is room for improvement," Mbonambi says. "Every player is professional here and they know where the errors were made.
"When it comes to the All Blacks, they present a different challenge, but we are just going to focus on ourselves and the training we need to put in this week to make sure we pitch up on Saturday.
"The rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand will always be massive, but we must focus on ourselves and carry on with the processes we have been doing."
South Africa should have key lock Lood de Jager back, after he missed this past weekend under concussion protocols, but wing Cheslin Kolbe remains doubtful with a leg injury.
Reuters
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