Erasmus Issues Warning As Boks Touch Down In Australia For Wallabies Clash
The Springboks arrived in Australia from the USA on Wednesday morning local time (late Tuesday night SA time) following their series victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
They now face another massive challenge, with Bok coach Rassie Erasmus saying the team is ready to begin preparations for their one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth.
The match, which will be hosted at Optus Stadium on Sunday, 27 September, will mark the first meeting between the two teams this year. It will also provide another significant opportunity for Erasmus and his charges to prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted in Australia, after getting a taste of the host nation for the 2031 RWC in the USA.
The Boks will face Romania in Perth in their third RWC pool match next year on Friday, 22 October 2027.
The squad travelled from Baltimore to Dallas on Monday before boarding a connecting flight to Sydney. From there, they travelled to their base in Terrigal, north of Sydney, where they will begin training for next week’s clash.
Erasmus is looking forward to the match and said they are determined to finish their current tour on a high note before returning to South Africa for a few weeks ahead of the away leg of the Nations Championship.
“We always knew how tough the matches against Argentina and, in RGR, against the All Blacks would be, and we factored that into our preparation,” said Erasmus.
“Both Argentina and the All Blacks tested us thoroughly, and we have no doubt that we will face a determined Wallabies side that will want to put on a good show in front of their home crowd. They will present a completely different challenge to those we have faced in our last few Tests.
“The Wallabies have been playing well, and we have no doubt they will come out firing in this match. It will require another full 80-minute performance from us to get the desired result next weekend.”
The Bok coach admitted that, given the demanding travel schedule over the last few weeks and a handful of tough matches under their belts, player management would be a key factor over the next few days. This would give the players the best opportunity to recover properly and ensure they are ready, both physically and mentally, for the match.
“The players had a day off in Baltimore on Sunday before we embarked on our journey to Australia, and we obviously factored the impact of the last three matches and the travel on the players into our planning.
“Andy Edwards, our Head of Athletic Performance, and our logistics team have been working closely over the last few months to ensure that we do everything possible off the field to keep the players fresh and ready. It will be the same for our coaching staff when we begin training on Friday.
“They deserve a lot of credit for the smooth travel and for ensuring that we make everything as simple as possible for the players to perform well. We will continue to do everything we can next week to make our country proud and finish the tour strongly.”
South Africa hasn’t defeated the Wallabies in Perth since 2009 (a 32-25 win at Subiaco Oval), giving Australia a long-standing home ground advantage in Western Australia.
