They may have made their mark in the green and gold with the Blitzboks, but neither Kwagga Smith nor Kurt-Lee Arendse have ever been shy of mixing it up and both are bracing themselves for 80 minutes of physical Test rugby against Georgia on Saturday.
The duo played for the Springbok Sevens team earlier in their careers, but both have now established themselves with the Springboks and realise they will have to be at their best against the Eastern Europeans at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Arendse and Smith singled out Georgia’s brute physicality and ability to keep fighting as valuable traits in their team as they prepare for the final installment of the 2025 Castle Lager Incoming Series, but both players stressed that the key for the Boks was to focus on their own game and to keep delivering on their standards.
“They are strong and hard people, who grew up in a tough country, so they are a good team, and we know it’s going to be a challenging battle,” said Smith, a Mpumalanga native who scored a try the last time the Boks faced Georgia, in Pretoria in 2021.
“They will be physical and they’ll keep fighting and playing until the end, no matter what the score is. This is a huge opportunity for them to prove themselves, and for their players to show what they can do and possibly get contracts overseas.”
Arendse, who scored a try at the Mbombela Stadium in his second Test, the Boks’ 2022 victory over the All Blacks, echoed these sentiments.
It’s always a pleasure representing your country, so the goal for us will be to ensure that we maintain our standards and try to deliver the best possible performance against a Georgian outfit that have everything to prove,” said the quicksilver wing.
Smith was delighted for fellow-Mpumalanga man Marnus van der Merwe, who hails from Nelspruit and is one of three uncapped players in the starting fifteen, along with fellow front-rowers Neethling Fouche and Boan Venter.
“I’m very happy and proud for Marnus and everyone else who has made it to this level from the Lowveld,” said Smith. “One can relate to how they grew up and the journey they have been through to get here, so it’s fantastic to see him achieve this honour.”
Arendse, meanwhile, was excited about playing in the Bok backline and to see the young talent coming through with fellow speedster Edwill van der Merwe playing his third Test match and said: “It’s great to see the younger players come into the set-up and take their opportunities.
“I think missing out on the end-of-the-year tour last year made Edwill even hungrier to be back in the team, so I’m looking forward to playing with him and the other guys in the backline this weekend.”
Both players reflected on the role sevens rugby played in their careers and the players they have become. Smith said: “In sevens there is a lot more space and no place to hide, which is different to 15-a-side rugby, but I still try to take what I learned from sevens and implement it in my game and try to get involved in as many battles as I can.”
Arendse, meanwhile, said he enjoyed his time playing club rugby in Japan, and likened the experience to sevens rugby – something which reignited that spark in him.
“My time in Japan was amazing,” said Arendse, who will return to the Vodacom Bulls next season. “I was injured, so I only played nine games, but it felt like sevens rugby with all the running, and the nice part about the Boks is the way we play now involves a lot of running, so it is exciting.”
The match kicks off at 17h10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
