South Africa went down 38-27 to New Zealand in Johannesburg on Saturday, in a thrilling nine-try encounter. Victory for the visitors ensured the Rugby Championship Cup stayed in All Blacks’ hands, but Howley was impressed with South Africa’s performance.
“It was a fantastic, epic battle between the top two southern hemisphere sides,” he said.
“To go over and have that insight was really important for our preparation as we haven’t played them in a couple of years.
“It was a really informative trip, not only watching the game itself but researching potential accommodation and training venues for our tour to South Africa next summer as well as catching up with the Springboks and All Blacks management teams.
“This autumn we play South Africa first up and there is no doubt that it is going to be a huge physical battle. The intensity of Saturday’s game showed that, especially with the amount of time the ball was in play.
“Nine tries were scored, and New Zealand came back really impressively in the second-half. They managed to negate South Africa’s driving line-out and that gave them the platform they were looking for.
“It was interesting to see how both sides managed the kicking game and the aerial battle. Being live at the game, it is not all about watching the ball but watching what players are doing off it as well and how they counter attack, so it was really useful.
“One thing you have to do against South Africa is create opportunities but then you have to be clinical as well and that is exactly what the All Blacks did and that is what we will have to do as well.
“I have been really impressed with their form this season and we know we are facing one of the in-form teams in world rugby on November 9.”
South Africa ended the campaign with four victories and in runners-up spot and will have to wait just five weeks for their next International match, which comes in Cardiff as they kick-off their autumn tour.
The Wales squad will meet up for the first time since the summer later this month and they will need to get up to speed quickly according to Howley.
“It’s always a challenge for players and coaches coming into international campaigns, making sure players are up to speed with the international game.
“We need to make sure the environment and training sessions are intense and physical so we are ready for the first game.
“The autumn is a huge challenge for us, but it is one we welcome and are looking forward to.
“It you look at the autumn series over the last three or four years, we haven’t won too many matches and that is the next challenge for us.
“Looking back to the summer, the youngsters that went to Japan would have gained invaluable experience and the hurdle our players took beating a southern hemisphere side as part of the British and Irish Lions can only give us confidence.
“If you look especially at the 3rd Test in Sydney, our players will really have benefited from that experience and will come into this campaign with a lot of confidence and we will all be ready to put a marker down in that first game against South Africa.”
The opening fixture of the Dove Men Series will be the first time Howley returns to the Millennium Stadium since leading Wales to the RBS 6 Nations title back in March.
A British and Irish Lions series win in Australia has featured since then for the former Wales scrum-half but he is looking forward to returning to the centre of Cardiff for four back-to-back matches.
“It is an inspirational stadium,” said Howley.
“When we got back to the Millennium Stadium in the Six Nations against England, we’d had tough experiences on the road against Scotland, Italy and France and we were all looking forward to getting back and playing at home.
“As players and coaches we feel it’s the best stadium in the world and the memories always come flooding back so I’ve got no doubt that the atmosphere will be replicated again in the autumn.”
