USA to Australia: Springboks face 'different challenge' after Greatest Rivalry success
SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks will manage their players carefully as they prepare for a Wallabies side high on confidence after their series win in Argentina.
The Springboks arrived in Australia from the USA on Wednesday following their series victory against the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and are preparing for their one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday, September 27.
The match, which will be hosted at the Optus Stadium, will mark the first time the two teams meet this year and will represent another significant occasion for Erasmus and his charges to prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted in Australia, after getting a taste of the home of the 2031 RWC in the USA.
“We always knew how tough the matches against Argentina and in RGR against the All Blacks would be, and we factored that into our preparation,” said Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus.
“Both Argentina and the All Blacks tested us thoroughly, and we have no doubt that we will be facing a determined Wallabies side that will want to put on a good show in front of their home crowd, and they will present a completely different challenge to that which we have faced in the last few Test matches.
“The Wallabies have been playing well, and we have no doubt they will come out firing in this match, which will require another full 80-minute performance from us to get the desired result next weekend.”
The Bok coach admitted that with the demanding travel schedule over the last few weeks and a handful of tough matches under the belt, player management was a key factor in the next few days to allow the players the best opportunity to recover well and ensure that they are ready both physically and mentally for the match.
The squad travelled from Baltimore to Dallas on Monday and hopped onto a connecting flight to Sydney before travelling to their base in Terrigal north of Sydney, where they will begin training for next week’s clash.
“The players had a day off in Baltimore on Sunday before we embarked on the journey to Australia, and we obviously factored the impact the last three matches and the travel would have on the players in our planning,” Erasmus added.
“Andy Edwards, our Head of Athletic Performance, and our logistics team have been working closely in the last few months to ensure that we do everything possible off the field to keep the players fresh and ready, and it will be the same for our coaching staff when we begin training on Friday.
“They deserve a lot of credit for the smooth travel and the way they ensured that we make everything as simple as possible for the players to perform well, and we will continue to do everything we can next week to make our country proud and finish the tour well.”
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