Bok boss on Adelaide Test: 'New slate at a fresh venue'
REACTION: The Springboks will play a Test in Adelaide for the first time when they line up against the Wallabies.
The fixture is the first of their two Rugby Championship matches in Australia on Saturday, August 27, with their second encounter scheduled for the following week in New South Wales (venue to be confirmed) on September 3.
Rugby Australia confirmed the Boks’ destinations on Monday, while SA Rugby confirmed that all six the Boks’ home Tests this year will kick off at 17.05 (SA time) – against Wales in the Incoming Series in July, as well as the three Rugby Championship Tests in South Africa, against New Zealand at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit (August 6) and at Ellis Park in Johannesburg (August 13), and the final match of the tournament, against Argentina at Kings Park in Durban (September 24).
Kick-off times for both clashes against Australia, at the Adelaide Oval in South Australia and in NSW, must still be confirmed, while the Boks’ away match against Argentina at Estadio Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires (September 17) is scheduled to start at 16.10 (21.10 SA time).
The three Incoming Series fixtures – are against Wales are at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (July 2), the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein (July 9) and the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town (July 16).
Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber was excited about the Springboks making their first appearance in Adelaide, and returning to NSW for the first time in more than a decade in the southern hemisphere spectacle, and said it would be a great experience for the team after becoming accustomed to playing mainly in Brisbane and Perth in the last few years.
“We are very excited about playing in Adelaide for the first time and hopefully we can make the most of this occasion in a season that will be vital as we build towards the Rugby World Cup in France next year,” said Nienaber.
“The players enjoyed the experience of playing four Tests in Queensland last year, and Adelaide will present another exciting new challenge for the team, while the last time we played the Wallabies in New South Wales, was back in 2011 in Sydney.
“It also offers us the opportunity to start on a new slate at a fresh venue in a country that we have come to know very well over the years.”
Nienaber also said the confirmation of the kick-off times for the Boks’ local Tests assists tremendously with their planning.
“Match-days are very structured for us, and every minute counts in ensuring that the players perform to their optimal ability when the starting whistle sounds, so the kick-off times allow us to finetune our planning even more as the countdown begins to the international season.”
