The Springboks got back to business on the field this week and have been hard at work for their training camp in Johannesburg as they prepare for the forthcoming international season.
They reassembled this week after spending time with their families, and had their first full week of training and conditioning.
According to SA Rugby, experienced Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard reported for duty on Monday morning following the Gallagher Premiership final last Saturday. The Vodacom Bulls players – who battled it out against Leinster in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final – joined their teammates in the evening.
First game
The Springboks will kick off the international season on Saturday 28 June in the Qatar Airways Cup against the Barbarians in Cape Town. This will be before lining up in back-to-back Tests against Italy in Pretoria and Gqeberha on 5 and 12 July, and Georgia in Nelspruit on 19 July, respectively, in the Castle Lager Incoming Series.
The squad departed for Cape Town on Thursday for their first-ever match in South Africa against the Barbarians next weekend. Boks coach Rassie Erasmus has since expressed his satisfaction with the team preparations, having started the camp two weeks ago.
“We are well on track with our preparations for the Barbarians game,” said Erasmus during a press conference in Hyde Park this past week.
“Some of the players are making a strong return from injury, and we’ve now had time for them to settle back into our setup from their franchises and clubs. Some of the players had fitness tests this week and have been involved in team meetings and been exposed to the way we want to do things on the field after the two alignment camps earlier in the year. So we are confident we’ll all be back on the same page going forward,” he added.
