Canan Moodie confirms he wants to further his Springbok career at centre

Moodie, who first established himself as a wing in the team before moving to outside centre in a hard-running midfield pairing with Andre Esterhuizen, admits he is delighted with his new role in the side, and is looking forward to getting another chance to show what he can do against Tonga on Sunday.

Moodie was also quick to remind reporters that he's no stranger to the position, which is why it has been so comfortable for him to slip back into the role.

"I played outside centre at school, and I loved the position," he said.

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"When the opportunity came along, I grabbed it with hands, and I was surprised when I saw my name on the team sheet in that position against the All Blacks.

"There's a big defensive element at No 13, and the more I've played there, the better I adapted again, so hopefully it's a position I can continue in going forward."

Moodie also praised Siya Kolisi for his contribution to the Springbok team ahead of his remarkable achievement of leading South Africa for the 50th time, and said he was a key player both on and off the field.

Moodie also told a story highlighting how important Kolisi takes his role as captain, and how it's not just talk with the Bok skipper.

"When I first joined the Springbok camp, he was one of the first players who asked if I needed anything," Moodie revealed.

"This is a special moment for him and his family. He's a special guy who brings something special to the group."

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Meanwhile, assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said the Boks were expecting a fierce onslaught from Pacific Islanders Tonga on Sunday.

"They have big forwards and one of the best scrums in the competition. They also have star backs with a lot of X-factor players in their team," said Stick.

"The team we selected is also strong and physical so that we can put them under pressure. We know that if we are not on form we could struggle, so we want to pitch up with real intensity and capitalise on our point-scoring chances, which is something we didn't do against Ireland."

When asked about a possible playoff place, Stick was frank about the way the team viewed that scenario.

"We need to win this game, so we cannot even talk about the playoff stages now. We don't want to rely on other teams to get us through, so our goal firstly, will be to win and if things go well, we'll chase the bonus point and points."

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