Georgia's head coach, Richard Cockerill, is gearing up his team for a clash of titans as they prepare to face off against South Africa this Saturday in Nelspruit. Known for his tough-as-nails approach during his own playing days, Cockerill is instilling a similar spirit in his squad. Forget any notions of a gentle warm-up; Georgia is in it to give the Boks a real run for their money.
"We can’t be timid," Cockerill declared in a candid chat with RugbyPass. His philosophy is clear, rooted in his rugged confrontations against rugby legends like James Dalton.
"So the only way for us to compete on Saturday is to roll our sleeves out, stick our gumshields in and get in the middle of it – what else can we do?"
His tone suggests that backing down is not in the team's playbook.As they brace for a physical showdown at the Mbombela Stadium, Cockerill is under no illusions about the caliber of their opponents, the reigning world champions. "We’re a physical team, from a physical nation. We relish the gritty aspects of the game," he explained. But the ultimate test of grit and mental toughness, according to him, is a team like South Africa. Cockerill's goal is to measure his squad’s mettle against the best, head-on.
The Georgia coach is also keen on a special reunion on the pitch with Springbok newcomer Boan Venter, a player he knows well from his time at Edinburgh. "Obviously they’ve picked a different front row. I know Boan Venter very well because I signed him for Edinburgh from the Cheetahs. They’ve picked a strong pack, but the only way to go at it is full noise." While he steers clear of brash predictions, Cockerill's competitive fire is unmistakable.
"I’m not going to make any outlandish promises like we’re going to smash the Boks, but we want to go out and compete."
The Lelos have a tough history against the Springboks, having lost both previous encounters, and their tour didn’t start off smoothly, stumbling against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein with a close 24-20 defeat. But if Cockerill's fighting words are anything to go by, Georgia is not just in South Africa to make up the numbers. They're here to challenge, to scrap, and perhaps, to surprise.