Boks in final stage of prep for RGR
Rassie Erasmus has moved the Springboks into the final stages of their preparation for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, with the national squad now aligned and ready to switch into full-blown Test week ahead of next Saturday’s opening clash against the All Blacks in Johannesburg.
The Springboks completed an important two days of training on Friday and Saturday, with the focus on bringing the entire squad together after their demanding Test against Los Pumas in Argentina.
The squad returned to the training field on Friday and followed that up with another field session on Saturday before being given the next day and a half off to spend time with their families.
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“It was important to manage the players who travelled to Argentina well and afford them sufficient time to recover from the match and switch back into the domestic time zone, which is why we only started training as a full group late in the week,” Erasmus said.
“But we are pleased that the players are well recovered and ready to give everything for the forthcoming Tests against the All Blacks.”
The Springboks will face New Zealand in four consecutive Tests, beginning at 10bet Ellis Park on August 22, before the series moves to Cape Town for the second Test at DHL Stadium on August 29.
The third Test will be played at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on September 5, with the series concluding at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on September 12.
“It will undoubtedly be a very challenging tournament, but we are looking forward to it as a collective,” he said.
“This series is almost like playing the knock-out stages of a Rugby World Cup because we are facing one of the world’s best week in and week out, and we all understand the magnitude of the RGR series.”
The Boks have also been able to use the build-up period to work on areas away from the matchday squad, with coaches and players who remained in South Africa during the past two weeks continuing preparations behind the scenes.
“It’s a new and exciting challenge, and we have been putting in a lot of work behind the scenes, especially the group of coaches and players who remained behind in South Africa in the last two weeks,” Erasmus said.
“We will finetune the areas of our game, which we would like to improve next week as we get ready to take the field.”
Springbok hooker Johan Grobbelaar and utility forward Elrigh Louw have been released to play for the Bulls against the All Blacks on Saturday evening and will rejoin the national squad on Sunday.
Their return will complete the Springboks’ preparations ahead of the opening Test.
The opening match of the four-Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series kicks off next Saturday in Johannesburg.
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