WATCH: Rassie Erasmus challenges Springboks to turn hurt into fuel to gain redemption in Cape Town

Rassie Erasmus says the “hurting” Springboks are determined to respond to their bruising 33-16 defeat to the All blacks by correcting the mistakes that proved costly in Johannesburg.

Erasmus said the message has been clear: last week’s result must hurt — but it must also fuel them.

“One could see the hurt on everyone’s faces after Saturday’s match, and we know what we have to do to bounce back strongly this week,” Erasmus said on Monday.

“While we are fully aware of the challenging task ahead, we have regrouped and identified the areas of our game we need to fix, so we are ready and excited for the match in Cape Town.”

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That determination will be tested against a New Zealand side arriving in the Mother City with confidence after a convincing first-Test victory. The All Blacks will know that another win would put them firmly in control of the four-Test series, while the Springboks know that a consecutive loss will bury their series ambitions.

The Boks created opportunities, but their inability to turn those chances into points ultimately proved decisive.

“There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us,” Erasmus said.

“We’ll put in a lot of work this week to ensure that we are sharp in that regard this weekend because if we had used even some of those chances, the result could have been completely different.”

Amid the disappointment of the first Test, the second encounter will provide an opportunity to celebrate two remarkable Springbok careers.

After Damian de Allende reached his 100-Test milestone at Ellis Park last week, Pieter-Steph du Toit will now join the exclusive 100 Club in Cape Town.

Du Toit will become only the 11th Springbok to reach 100 Test appearances, an extraordinary achievement for a player who has established himself as one of the best-ever Springboks

Alongside him, Ox Nché will celebrate his 50th Test cap.

Erasmus paid tribute to both players.

“Pieter-Steph and Ox have been pillars of strength for us on and off the field, and they both deserve these accolades.”

“It is a remarkable achievement to play 100 Test matches, and for Pieter-Steph to deliver week in and week out the way he has over the years is incredible. We are equally proud of Ox for the player and team man he has grown into, and to see him reach 50 Test caps is fantastic.”

Erasmus says the All Blacks will arrive in Cape Town confident.

“We know New Zealand will be charged up after winning last week, and they will want to build on that.”

But the Springbok coach insists that South Africa cannot become distracted by what New Zealand may do.

“But the key for us will be to focus on our game and ensure that we are as effective as possible all around.”