Bok Wiese sheds light on tense off-field encounter with All Blacks

Springbok strong man Jasper Wiese has revealed the tense atmosphere on the charter plane shared by the South African and New Zealand rugby players as they headed to the USA for the fourth and final Test in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

The flight carrying both squads and support staff completed its journey in Baltimore, Maryland, where the teams are set to play at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday. No.8 Wiese said: “I don’t think it was too friendly on the flight.”

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus had painted a happier picture, stating: “The New Zealanders had their spot and we had our spot. I saw Beauden Barrett and Siya [Kolisi] having a cool drink together and taking photos. Codie Taylor was sitting just across me.”

However, Wiese gave a clearer indication of the atmosphere at 30,000 feet on the journey from Johannesburg, which included a two-hour stopover in Spain before the final 10-hour leg to the USA.

Wiese said in a media interview on arrival: “I’m not going to sugar-coat it – there wasn’t a lot of conversation. Maybe I was sitting at the back of the plane, so I wasn’t talking to many of them. But you can imagine how they were feeling on that flight after the loss. It would have been vice versa if we were in their position.”

The All Blacks must repeat their first Test triumph if they are to prevent the Springboks from claiming the four-Test series 3-1, and Wiese believes New Zealand’s desperation will be evident when the teams meet again.

“You know how desperate they’re going to be in this last game,” Wiese added. “That’s something we know is coming. I don’t think it was too friendly on the flight, but we know how much it means to them as well. It’s not just us who are in the competition, they are too, and I think they’re going to come out guns blazing this weekend.”