Orlando Pirates fan Kurt-Lee Arendse relishes Soweto cauldron ahead of Springboks vs All Blacks clash

Speedy winger Kurt-Lee Arendse is adamant the Springboks have fixed some of the problems on defence and will be equipped to contain the All Blacks’ lethal attack in Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium in Soweto.

The All Blacks’ attack has created many headaches for the Springboks in the first two Tests of the series, but Arendse insists the squad has used the training week in Johannesburg to rectify defensive leaks exposed during their matches at Ellis Park and DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

“We know the All Blacks are a good attacking side and we have put things into place to counter that,” Arendse said. “We are focussing more on ourselves and the things we have to improve on. We are focussing on shutting them down.

“We work every week to get better on defence. Also today we fixed a few things that we lacked over the weekend and to get ourselves better to prevent the opposition from scoring.”

A major shift for Saturday sees Cheslin Kolbe moving to fullback in place of the injured Damian Willemse, with Arendse re-entering the starting backline after missing the second Test due to concussion protocols.

The Bulls flyer, however, dismissed suggestions that shifting Kolbe to the last line alters their back-three dynamic.

“It’s pretty much the same,” Arendse noted. “I have played with Cheslin playing at fullback, and it’s basically the same, just a different number on the jersey. We communicate really well in training and we’ll take that into the game on the weekend.”

With a sell-out crowd expected in Soweto, Arendse is relishing the cauldron of FNB Stadium. As a self-confessed Orlando Pirates fan, the venue holds special memories from watching the Soweto Derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Pirates at the stadium that hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.

“The atmosphere is going to be amazing this weekend,” Arendse smiled. “The last time I was at FNB Stadium was in 2023 for the Soweto Derby and that was a great vibe. I think it’s going to be the same on the weekend. We are looking forward to that.”