Skosan relishes chance to go up against All Blacks’ back trio
New Zealand away game a tough challenge for Boks
The All Black back three may have regularly run roughshod over their Springbok counterparts in the past two years but winger Courtnall Skosan is happy he will get an opportunity of going up against them.
The slightly built but extremely hardworking leftwing has come a long way from the rugby rag doll New Zealand’s wings used as a doormat on the way to the Lions try line.
Skosan has embodied the development of the Lions from a team of has-beens to consecutive Super Rugby finalists more than any other player.
Tossed aside by the Bulls‚ Skosan’s work ethic and nose for the try-line had to catch coach Allister Coetzee’s attention at some point. While size does count‚ Elliot Daly and Anthony Watson proved for the British and Irish Lions that outand-out pace and brains can be a potent combination during their drawn series.
“The All Blacks have special players in every position in the whole squad so whoever plays‚ they’ll be having quality players on the field‚” Skosan said. “It’s a case of us having to focus on three guys instead of one guy and it’s going to be a team effort.
“If we can cover all our bases as a team‚ hopefully we can get the result on the weekend.”
The Boks play the All Blacks at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany on Saturday instead of New Zealand’s rugby cathedral Eden Park.
Skosan said he wasn’t worried about where they were playing‚ even though North Harbour has a sizeable SA immigrant population.
The Boks played two tests at the 25000-seater venue during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
“It’s another game at the end of the day and it’s 80 minutes that we need to see off.
“Obviously when you’re at home you have the advantage.
“We’re still playing an away game and we’re still playing the New Zealand side in New Zealand. It’s going to be a tough challenge for us to get the result,” Skosan said.