After a brief break after the July internationals, the Springboks have regathered for a two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg as they prepare for their first Rugby Championship Test against Australia.
The Springboks will first face the Wallabies in Johannesburg on Saturday 16 August, with kick off at 17:10, and again a week later in Cape Town on 23 August (17:10).
Rassie Erasmus said he expected a completely different challenge in the Rugby Championship to that against the Barbarians, Italy, and Georgia.
“Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina are all ranked in the top seven in the world, and if one considers that we won the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019 last year, it is clear that this will be a completely different kettle of fish,” Erasmus commented.
“All three teams have beaten us in the last few years and they play a different style of rugby to the other opposition we have faced thus far, but we are pleased with the foundation we laid in the last few weeks and we know exactly what areas of our game we need to work on going into the Rugby Championship.”
Erasmus will announce his squad for the two-match tour to New Zealand in September before making the journey Down Under, where they will face their arch-rivals at Eden Park in Auckland on 6 September, and the Sky Stadium in Wellington on 13 September respectively.
The team will wrap up their campaign with Test matches against Argentina in Durban on Saturday 27 September, and in London on 4 October.
LATEST SPRINGBOK SQUAD FOR THE START OF THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP:
Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls).
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Manie Libbok (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls), Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers).
WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE TOURNAMENT?
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