Vermeulen: Boks determined not to get complacent after Brisbane triumph

Vermeulen, who amassed 76 Test caps for the Boks before hanging up his boots after winning his second Rugby World Cup title last year, said the players are well aware there is no place for complacency as they gear up for their next challenge in the Rugby Championship.

And despite their impressive performance last weekend, the coaches feel there is still a lot of room for improvement in the team's performance.

"The scrums were good last week," said Vermeulen. "We earned a few penalties and got some advantage from that area, but I'm sure Taniela Tupou will start this week and bring a new dynamic to their pack.

"In terms of the lineouts, we lost two, and we'll continue to work towards the perfect lineout.

"On the downside, we left quite a few chances out there and we were pinned at some defensive breakdowns, so there are a few areas we need to be sharper in going forward. We are working closely with Jaco Peyper (national laws advisor) and the referees going into this match, so we can improve our performance this weekend."

Newcomer Jan-Hendrik Wessels echoed Vermeulen's sentiments and said: "We are preparing with the same standards as last week, so there is certainly no complacency in the group.

"We know what our goals and plans are, so we are working hard to ensure that we can deliver the same quality in terms of our performance. We missed a lineout or two, but in general it was a performance that we can be proud of."

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will name his matchday squad for the clash on Tuesday, and while Vermeulen said the selection was up to the coaching team, he believed changes could be beneficial to the team.

"We have a squad of 33 players here and ideally we'd like to use them all because we need the players to stay in top form, not only for the competition, but also in the case of injuries," said Vermeulen.

"So, there might be a few changes to the team, but it's up to the coaches to select the most suitable team for the weekend. This is a big game for us because we left a lot of tries out there, so it certainly wasn't a perfect game, and hopefully we can bring a new energy this weekend."

When quizzed about whether another good performance could place the Boks in pole position to win the Castle Lager Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019, especially after New Zealand suffered a surprise defeat to Argentina in the opening round, Vermeulen was careful to look too far ahead.

"It's still early days," he said. "New Zealand also selected a few young players compared to the side they played in the RWC, so they'll probably make some changes this week. From our perspective, obviously the last game put us in a good position (to compete for the title), but there's still a long way to go."

The former Bok loose forward was delighted to be part of the Springbok management team, where he is currently deployed after working the Junior Springboks earlier in the year, and said he cherished every moment of the opportunity.

"It's been an easy transition (from a player to management member) because I only played a year ago," said Vermeulen. "It's nice to still be in the mix. I've been learning from the coaches because they see things from a different angle, so I've really been enjoying this journey."

After playing a key role as a waterboy in the last few Tests, Vermeulen added: "There's a lot more to being a waterboy than simply carrying water. There's a lot of communication in the role, and to be the link between the players and coaches is great. It's a position I'm enjoying."

Wessels, meanwhile, said he was equally pleased to play either prop or hooker for the team, and that he wanted to give his best no matter where the team needs him: "I'm just enjoying the opportunity to be here and if I get the chance to play, I want to be sharp in both positions, so I've been working hard at both of them at training."

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