Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick emphasizes that last year’s World Cup victory is behind them as they focus on building for the new season.

The Boks are back in camp for the first time since their World Cup win in France, where they defeated the All Blacks in October. They face Wales at Twickenham Stadium this Saturday (15:00).

The back-to-back world champions arrived in London on Thursday, fresh and ready to take on Wales in their season opener. The similar time zone to South Africa allowed them to quickly resume their weekly routine.

Excited to be back in full Test match mode, Stick commented: “It’s back to reality being in London. What we achieved last year is history, and now it’s time to build something new. 

“There are a few youngsters in our team that will get an opportunity alongside some of the more experienced players, so it’s going to be an exciting game. 

“Wales will also be eager to play against the World Champions, so we know it’s going to be a tough game, and that’s exactly what we need to kickstart the season.” 

Having completed their usual pre-match preparations in South Africa before their Wednesday night departure, Stick explained that Thursday would be a full rest day for the players to recharge and fully shift into game mode.

“We did all the preparation we had to do back in South Africa, and we arrived in the UK this morning and will have a full day off as we usually do in a Test week,” said Stick.  

“With the team travelling overnight the guys could sleep well, and the bonus for us is that there is only a one-hour time difference, which means we can stick to our routine going into Saturday’s game. 

“The players will relax a little today and then we have our captains run tomorrow, and hopefully things go well on Saturday.”