Rassie reveals how he plans to attack Rugby Championship
NEWS: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was confident that his team was ready to transition into Test mode after a productive two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg in preparation for the Rugby Championship.
The Boks will reassemble in Johannesburg on Sunday, where they will turn their full attention to the first of two matches against Australia at Ellis Park next Saturday. The second Test against the Wallabies will be hosted in Cape Town on Saturday, August 23.
These matches will be followed by back-to-back Tests against New Zealand in Auckland and Wellington (September 6 and 13), and Argentina in Durban and London (September 27 and October 4).
“We are pleased with the hard work the players put in over the last two weeks, and we are looking forward to making the switch into the Rugby Championship next week,” said Erasmus.
“The intensity and competitiveness of this competition will be completely different, and our conditioning camp was important to allow us to make that step-up physically and mentally.
“We will be going up against quality teams in the Wallabies, All Blacks, and Pumas, so it was important to lay a strong foundation on and off the field before we go into full Test-match week from Sunday.”
Erasmus added: “The camp included a series of gym and field training sessions, as well as boardroom sessions, which were vital for us to realign regarding our standards and what we want to achieve on the field.
“It was very productive, and we hope that it will benefit us as we prepare to face a psyched-up and physical Australian team following the British & Irish Lions Series.
“We then have a tour to New Zealand, and face Argentina, and both those teams pose their own threats, so hopefully we can build on these standards.”
Erasmus said the focus for now, however, was on the first two matches against the Wallabies.
“We are approaching the tournament in three different blocks, the first of which is the leg against Australia, and we have no doubt they will want to build on their performances in their last two matches against the British & Irish Lions,” he said.
“Similarly, we would like to continue building momentum and our results in the Incoming Series, although we are under no illusions about the challenges these teams will pose.
“We are excited for the challenge ahead, and we are looking forward to returning to the field next week.”
