Safa president Danny Jordaan has backed both Banyana Banyana and the Springboks to make the country proud when they clash with the Argentinian national teams respectively.
Banyana will face La Albiceleste in the second round of the World Cup group stage in Dunedin on Friday morning, with both teams eyeing their first win in Group G after losing their openers to Sweden and Italy respectively.
Back home, the national men’s rugby team will be hoping to overcome a familiar foe in Argentina when the two teams meet in the Rugby Championship at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday afternoon.
With Banyana’s clash in the wee hours of Friday morning (2am SA time) serving as a curtain raiser for the two clashes Jordaan is confident the African champions will do the country a great service.
“Argentina are our friends. We have a corporation agreement and many meetings with them. Of course, we couldn’t play them (in the build-up) because we are in the same group,” Jordaan said from the team's hotel, in Wellington, Zealand.
“We’ll now meet them in the World Cup second round match – which will be very important for both teams. But the team has shown its character, fighting, and tackling ability. So, I am sure they’ve settled now and will prevail against Argentina.”
While Banyana are already playing in the World Cup, the Springboks, who are the defending world champions of the Webb Ellis, will begin their title defence in September in France.
But in the wake of their respective clashes against the Argentinians on Friday and Saturday respectively, Jordaan says both teams will duly fight for the honour of the nation.
“We are in the World Cup and the Springboks are on the way to the World Cup. They go there as the defending champions and we are here as the African champions,” Jordaan said.
“We wish both our teams all of the best. They represent our nation and all of us as South Africans, and in the true South African spirit we will see South Africans fighting to bring glory to our country.”