Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Siya Kolisi said on Friday their Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies at Ellis Park on Saturday would be their toughest Test so far this season, but they were confident the team was at the level they needed to be going into the encounter.
The Springboks have been forced to make a late change as prop Boan Venter will provide front-row cover off the bench in Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener against Australia.
SA Rugby and Vodacom have expanded their partnership, which dates back to 1995, with a historic new sponsorship deal as the first and exclusive official telecommunications partner to all the national teams and competitions.
The Springboks haven’t lost to the Wallabies on home soil since 2008, but prop Ox Nche and fullback Aphelele Fassi are expecting a tough, physical contest.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a strong team for the side’s opening Rugby Championship match against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday, with the matchday squad featuring 18 Rugby World Cup winners and only one player who made his Test debut during the Castle Lager Incoming Series.
The Springboks wrapped up their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg on Thursday, where they continued to put in the hard yards for the Rugby Championship, and the excitement among the three Junior Springbok World Rugby U20 Championship winners was etched on their faces after what they described as an opportunity of a lifetime.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was pleased with the foundation laid in the first week of the team’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship conditioning camp in Johannesburg this week, and he looked forward to building on the strides made so far when they reassemble on Sunday.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus selected a strong 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 Rugby World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during their successful Incoming Series.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said he would revert to a more settled squad for the Rugby Championship after completing the July series with a nine-try romp against Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.