Canan Moodie relishes Twickenham return as Springboks eye title defence in London

The Springboks will have fond memories of their last two outings at Twickenham Stadium as they prepare for the final Rugby Championship Test in London against Argentina this Saturday.

After a record-breaking victory in Durban this past weekend, where they dismantled Los Pumas 67-30, the Boks remain focused on the final game, keeping their title-defence goal firmly in sight. A long day of travel awaited them on Sunday, which could result in a compact training week ahead of the tournament decider in England.

Outside centre Canan Moodie is one of the Springboks who will have particularly fond memories of Twickenham.

He was part of the Bok squad that thumped New Zealand 35-7 in 2023, while the world champions also beat Wales and England at the venue in the 2024 season. Moodie, however, warned that past results will count for nothing on Saturday.

“We won’t take the second game against the Argentinians lightly,” the utility back said.

“They are a passionate nation and will come back hard. They’ll look at this match as a chance to bounce back, and we know they’ll come fighting. We do have good memories at Twickenham, but we must ensure we focus on our job come Saturday.”

The youngster has enjoyed an extended run in the Bok jersey this season, particularly during the Rugby Championship, but he insists there is still room to sharpen his game alongside that of the team.

Moodie has featured on the wing in a couple of Tests, while more recently he has excelled at outside centre, combining with Damian Willemse and Damian de Allende in the past two matches. He has also partnered with utility player André Esterhuizen in the No. 13 channel at Twickenham.

For him, playing alongside world-class teammates makes the role even more rewarding.

“I really like the outside centre position. That channel and the challenges it brings — I enjoy that, especially defensively, where you need to be a leader and voice. Coach Tony (Brown) is helping me refine my skillset and play to my strengths," said Moodie.

"It’s easy when you have top-class players inside you. They’re excellent ball-carriers and communicators, which makes my job easier. We all have specific roles on the weekend, and whoever fills them must execute as best they can.

“It was also amazing to play with Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu). He was full of confidence and scored some great tries. It’s always good when a player can express himself and steer us in the right direction while getting the win.”