With so many in the Scotland camp having studied the Springboks all summer, they know exactly what to expect at Murrayfield on Saturday, says Chris Harris.
The powerful outside centre was one of seven Scots in the playing squad on the Lions tour, while coaches Gregor Townsend and Steve Tandy and chief analyst Gavin Vaughan were in the backroom staff.
While there were five other games to play, Harris revealed that virtually all the study time was on South Africa ahead of the three tests.
And the centre doesn’t think the Scots can beat the Springboks just by playing Harlem Globetrotter stuff.
‘We won the first test, didn’t we?’
“The idea we would have won the Lions Series by playing more open, well, we won the first test didn’t we?” he pointed out. “The second test didn’t quite work out for us, but you look at I and think, there were opportunities here and there.
““I think what will happen this weekend is that there will be some opportunities to play a bit of rugby. But you can’t be caught over playing at the same time.
“It’s a balance and you’ve got to be smart. There are enough boys who have played a few games against them and spent 6-7 weeks looking at them. We know what to expect and we’ll be looking to impose our game on them.”
‘We’ve got the players to go at them’
🦁 Chris Harris gets over for an early try for the British and Irish Lions!
Awesome stuff, @charris_13!!! 🍒 pic.twitter.com/6vWtwqTzc9
— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) July 10, 2021
The Scots have also looked at how last week’s visitors Australia managed to beat South Africa twice this summer.
“We did have a look at how Australia played against them and they did have a crack,” said Harris. “They went at them with the ball.
“Australia are very good at that and we are as well. There are definite opportunities there and we’ve got the players who can go at them.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge of seeing if we can really impose that attacking side of the game on them.”
Harris and Sam Johnson should link up again in midfield for Scotland this weekend. It’s a partnership that’s grown on and off the field.
The pair were thrown together as team-mates and room-mates during the last World Cup. That has stuck as time has gone on.
“We were there together for the whole time in Japan,” added Harris. “So we got to know each other really well, so from that perspective we’re really close.
‘It’s a good partnership’
“He’s just a grand, very laid back bloke. That’s good with me and we just chill out.
“On the field just expands from the relationship off the field. We understand each other. I understand what he wants to do defensively and in attack.
“We speak to each other a lot in training about what to expect from the opposition and what we expect from each other. It’s a good partnership we’ve got going on.”
They will be up against a fair duo in the green shirts in Damien de Allende and Lukhanyo Am.
“Am’s playing with confidence, isn’t he? He’s a physical player and I look forward to playing against him again.
“He’s a bit of an all-rounder, an aggressive defender but the whole South African backline are pretty aggressive. We’ll look at how to get around that but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”