The Springboks made the journey back to South Africa on Sunday, and after a few days of well-earned rest, the squad will reassemble in camp on Thursday.
With two matches remaining in the Rugby Championship against the Pumas – in Durban on Saturday 27 September (kick off at 17:10) and in London on 4 October (kick off at 15:00) – the competition is still wide open.
Only two points separate all four teams on the log. The Wallabies lead the standings on 11 points, followed by the second-placed Springboks and third-placed All Blacks (both on 10 points), and Argentina (9 points). Australia and New Zealand play each other home and away on the same dates.
Springboks wary of dangerous Pumas
All four teams have won two of their four matches so far, and in the Springboks’ case specifically, they will be wary of the fact that the Pumas have beaten the Wallabies and All Blacks.
“The Pumas are playing good rugby, and it will be a good challenge when we face them,” said Cheslin Kolbe.
“There’s hope within our group (that we can retain the Rugby Championship title), so we just need to approach each training session and game at a time now, remain humble, and continue to put in the hard work.”
The Bok squad will have a few days off with their families and reassemble in Durban on Thursday to re-acclimatise to the South African conditions and time zone after spending three weeks in New Zealand, with Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus set to announce his squad for the two matches in next few days.
“Once we go back to training, I’m sure the coaches will have plans for us for the next two games,” said Kolbe.
“They’ve been playing really well in the Rugby Championship, and it’s always a physical battle against the Argentineans. That said, we need to make sure we focus on ourselves and where we can be better.
“We must be clinical. Test rugby is all about being clinical, disciplined, and playing on the right side of the field.”
DO YOU THINK THE BOKS WILL WIN THE TOURNAMENT?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
