Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks are gearing up for a testing Rugby Championship campaign, which kicks off against the Wallabies at Ellis Park on August 16.
The Bok coach stressed the importance of their two-week training camp saying it was vital in ensuring the coaches, players, and entire management team were aligned and prepared for the competition.
The Springboks won the prestigious tournament for the first time since 2019 last year in an impressive campaign in which they suffered only one defeat – against Argentina by a single point in Santiago del Estero. Erasmus’ charges will aim to defend their title this year and retain the Freedom Cup against the All Blacks and Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate against the Wallabies.
The Boks begin their campaign with back-to-back Tests against Australia in Johannesburg and Cape Town, before facing the All Blacks in successive matches in Auckland and Wellington. They face Argentina in Durban and London.
"We are always careful about the opposition in the Rugby Championship,” Erasmus said.
“Australia showed last weekend they have what it takes to win a match against a team like the British & Irish Lions and they have an opportunity to try to achieve that this weekend, so we are expecting tough battles against them, as well as New Zealand and Argentina.”
The Boks, after a four-match winning run this season from their victories against the Barbarians and an Incoming Series clean-sweep against Italy (two Tests) and Georgia, have worked on the Rugby Championship squad further in their training camp.
“We would have eight weeks of proper preparation before we take the field in the Rugby Championship and we are pleased with the physicality Italy and Georgia brought against us in the last few weeks," Erasmus said.
“We have another three weeks to prepare for the matches against Australia, so we’ll be working hard on the training field in the next few weeks.
“We always knew that our first few matches would not be as tough as the Rugby Championship, even though the opposition was competitive and physical, but we are now going up against teams with solid game plans and a different intensity.
“Australia are coming off the British & Irish Lions series, so it will be a challenging tournament.”
Erasmus admitted that this week’s training camp was not originally part of their schedule, but he said it would benefit the team on several fronts.
“These two weeks of camp will give us time to align as coaches, as well as on the conditioning aspects for the players and to take stock from a medical perspective. It’s important in assisting us to get to where we want to be against three good countries in the series.”
The Springboks wrapped up the first week of their training camp on Thursday afternoon and will spend the weekend with their families, before reassembling in Johannesburg on Sunday to continue their on-field preparations.
Springboks' Rugby Championship fixtures
(SA times)
- August 16: v Australia, Ellis Park (5.10pm)
- August 23: v Australia, Cape Town Stadium (5.10pm)
- September 6: v New Zealand, Eden Park, Auckland (9.05am)
- September 13: v New Zealand, Sky Stadium, Wellington (9.05am)
- September 17: v Argentina, Kings Park (5.10pm)
- October 5: v Argentina, Twickenham, London (3pm)
SA Rugby media
