Boks are 'rejuvenated' ahead of tour opener
SPOTLIGHT: The Boks are in a good mental space heading into their November fixtures, according to centre Lukhanyo Am.
The Bok outside centre said the players were excited to be back together and to return to the field after a well-deserved break following a four-month slog in which they participated in the Rugby Championship.
“We are in a good space as a group,” said Am.
“Finishing off the Rugby Championship with a win in the last Test was a huge confidence booster going into the end-of-year tour, so we are in a good frame of mind as a team and we’ll definitely try to prepare for this tour as well as we can.”
Am, who started in all four matches in Queensland and scored a try against Australia in Brisbane, added that the break after returning from Australia was good for the team.
#ICYMI: Injured Springbok scrumhalf Francois de Klerk has broken his silence over the hip injury that ruled him out of South Africa’s year-end tour. #SouthAfrica #Springboks https://t.co/UFiCr7McHX
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“Especially from a mental perspective, and it gave the conditioning coaches a chance to manage us,” he said.
“The boys are rejuvenated and very happy to see each other and we are looking forward to this tour.”
While Am acknowledged that this week was a fantastic opportunity for the players to familiarise themselves with the conditions in France with the Rugby World Cup two years away, he said there was a long way to go before the international extravaganza.
“As players we do not want to think too far ahead,” said Am.
“We are mainly focused on this tour and trying to prepare as well as we can because we have been off completely for two weeks in South Africa, but it’s nice to get a feeling of the atmosphere and environment here.”
The team will have two training sessions on Tuesday and will have Wednesday off to recover before continuing their on-field preparations on Thursday.
The Springboks will open the Tour against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, November 6, before travelling north to Edinburgh where they will meet Scotland on November 13, and then on to London to play England on November 20.
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