Du Preez thrilled to be back in the Bok team

Du Preez, whose last Test start was against England in June 2018 in Johannesburg, warned that the second Rugby Championship Test at the DHL Stadium would be another epic battle.

The 30-year-old loose forward will start at the back of the scrum in the absence of the injured Siya Kolisi in a loose trio with flankers Marco van Staden and Franco Mostert.

After the Boks’ 38-22 defeat against the Wallabies at Ellis Park last week, Du Preez said the key is to be as prepared as possible going into the match.

“This will be my first Test start in seven years, and I’d like to do my best for the team and help get us on the front foot, and hopefully, we can do a good job on Saturday.

“I’ve been thinking quite a bit after last week’s result. There’s a lot of pressure on us, and on me after not starting in seven years. But I’ve tried not to think about the outside noise too much and just get my preparation right in the week.”

Du Preez admits that the lure of the Springbok jersey has always remained in the back of his mind.

“Your mind is a powerful thing – there were times that I thought I should give up hope, but I would never be able to do that,” said Du Preez.

“Yes, it took some time to start again, but then again, I can never take it for granted. When you get a shot, you must take it.

“I did a lot of prep and worked hard, and so much has changed. I’m just so thankful for the opportunity to get a run on Saturday and to represent my country again.”

Giving his thoughts on what they expected from the Wallabies this week, Du Preez said: “We are expecting much of the same from them. We must give credit to the Aussies, they did well last week. Their turnover attack cut us up a little, so we’ve been working hard on our defence and breakdowns this week.

“Fraser McReight might be a very good fetcher, but for us, it’s about our urgency to get to the breakdown, and we’ve focused on that this week. We need to get there before the breakdown is formed.”