Canan Moodie says he’s excited about the opportunity to partner veteran Damian de Allende in the Springbok midfield against Georgia in Nelspruit on Saturday.
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The 22-year-old has earned 13 Test caps – nine on the right wing and four at outside centre – and has been given another start at No 13 this weekend after impressing there in the second Test against Italy.
Last Saturday in Port Elizabeth, Moodie lined up outside Andre Esterhuizen, but for the clash at Mbombela Stadium he will partner De Allende, who has 88 Test caps.
I’m very grateful to get the backing from the coaches to play at 13 again,” said Moodie. “Now, getting the chance to play alongside Damian is very exciting. He’s world-class and I know he’ll make the right decisions, so I’ll just look to play off him. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”
Moodie was one of the standout performers in the 45-0 win over the Azzurri and says the Springbok environment keeps players hungry to perform.
“We’ve got a very competitive squad and everyone is pushing for a place,” he said. “Our training weeks are intense, and that helps us a lot when it comes to performing on the weekend.
“We were psyched up all week for that Italy game and wanted to prove a point. We were idling and ready to go, and I think you could see that on the field.”
The Boks will be favourites against the 11th-ranked Georgians, but Moodie said the squad is fully focused and determined to keep building momentum.
“We learned a lesson from the first Italy Test and don’t want to make that mistake again. No one is underestimating the challenge we’ll face on Saturday.”
