South Africa must turn belief into victory against All Blacks, says Wilco Louw

South Africa prop Wilco Louw says the Springboks remain confident they can recover from their opening defeat by the All Blacks when the second Test of the Greatest Rivalry series takes place in Cape Town on Saturday.

The match is pivotal for the Springboks. Victory would level the four-match series at 1-1, while another defeat would leave South Africa unable to win the contest.

Louw, who is set to start for South Africa, believes the team has an immediate opportunity to correct the mistakes made in Johannesburg.

“It’s a four-match series, and we get another opportunity this week,” Louw said earlier this week.

“There’s still belief in this team. We know we can be better and we have to take our opportunities.”

South Africa made a strong start in the scrum during the first Test, dominating several early set pieces against New Zealand. However, they were penalised when they chose to take a third scrum after being awarded a penalty five metres from the All Blacks’ line.

That decision proved significant in a tightly contested match and has led to further discussion about the refereeing decisions that affected the Springboks at Ellis Park.

Louw expects another closely fought battle between the packs in Cape Town, but said South Africa’s scrum strength must come from the collective effort of the forwards rather than any individual player.

“We have a proud scrum culture and so do the All Blacks,” said Louw.

“We had our wins, and they had theirs, but our scrum isn’t about one guy, it’s about the whole pack.

“The scrum is only one part of the game. We just need to use our opportunities better.”

The second Test gives South Africa the chance to respond immediately to the first-match loss and keep their hopes of winning the series alive. New Zealand, meanwhile, can move into an unassailable position with victory.

Louw will be supported among the replacements by Thomas du Toit, who will provide tighthead cover from the bench.

Kick-off in Cape Town is scheduled for 17:10.