The Springboks will be kicking off their Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign with back-to-back Tests against Australia, and coach Rassie Erasmus is wary of the assignment that awaits them.
South Africa will first host the Aussies at the Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday, before heading to Cape Town the following week.
The Boks will then face New Zealand in successive matches in Auckland and Wellington next month, before returning to Durban to face Argentina, and then travelling to London to wrap up their campaign against Los Pumas.
“We are always careful about the opposition in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, so we are expecting tough battles against Australia, as well as New Zealand and Argentina,” Erasmus said.
In terms of how far the World Rugby Champions are with their preparations, Erasmus said his team looks sharp and is impressed with the strides that they have made.
“We had an intense week of conditioning to get the players ready for what will undoubtedly be a challenging championship campaign against some of the top teams in the world,
“So, we are pleased with the strides made and the mind-shift the players made for what will be a completely different contest against in the upcoming matches.
“There are a few key areas of our game that we identified and felt we needed to improve on after the Incoming Series [against Italy and Georgia] and incorporated those areas into our training and conditioning blocks,” he added.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla, has issued a public warning over significant traffic disruptions.
“The JMPD wants to inform the public of significant traffic disruptions expected around the Emirates Airline Park precinct, formerly Ellis Park Stadium, on Saturday due to the anticipated match between the Springboks and Australia,” Fihla said.
“To alleviate traffic congestion and to enhance overall match day experience, the JMPD strongly encourages all spectators to utilise the various alternative transportation options available instead of their private vehicles.
“Limited parking will be available at the stadium, and we anticipate heavy traffic, making alternative options the most convenient and effective way to get to and from the match.”
