“Like The World Cup Knockouts”: Rassie Lays Down Marker Ahead of Four-Test All Blacks Blockbuster
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and his charges completed an important two days of training on Saturday, with the objective of getting the entire squad aligned ahead of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series, presented by Castle Double Malt.
The Springboks will kick off the series against the All Blacks in Johannesburg next Saturday, following their 17-10 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires last week.
The travelling squad, which included 26 players and a host of coaches, returned to South Africa in two groups on Monday night and Tuesday. They spent most of the week undergoing flush-out and gym sessions to help the players readjust to the local time zone and get match-ready following the physical Test against Los Pumas.
The squad returned to the training field on Friday and completed another field session on Saturday before having the next day and a half off to spend time with their families. They will then switch their full focus to Test week ahead of the opening RGR encounter.
The teams will play four consecutive Tests against New Zealand, starting with Saturday’s clash at 10bet Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 22 August. The series will then move to Cape Town for the second Test at DHL Stadium on 29 August, followed by a return to Johannesburg for the match at FNB Stadium on 5 September, before concluding at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on 12 September.
Bok hooker Johan Grobbelaar and utility forward Elrigh Louw, who have been released to play for the Vodacom Bulls in their RGR match against the All Blacks on Saturday evening, will rejoin the national squad on Sunday.
“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,” said Erasmus.
“But we are pleased that the players are well recovered and ready to give everything for the forthcoming Tests against the All Blacks.
“It will undoubtedly be a very challenging series, but we are looking forward to it as a collective. This series is almost like playing the knockout stages of a Rugby World Cup because we are facing one of the world’s best teams week in and week out, and we all understand the magnitude of the RGR series.
“It’s a new and exciting challenge, and we have been putting in a lot of work behind the scenes, especially with the group of coaches and players who remained behind in South Africa over the last two weeks.
“We will fine-tune the areas of our game that we would like to improve next week as we get ready to take the field.”
The opening match kicks off at 17h10 next Saturday and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
