After being given a few days off with their families following their return from New Zealand on Sunday night before they begin preparations for the last two matches of the competition, the Springboks squad reassembled in Durban on Thursday.
The Boks also needed to re-acclimatise to the South African conditions and time zone
after spending three weeks in Down Under.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has kept most of the players who helped to retain the Freedom Cup in New Zealand last weekend in his 33-man squad for their closing two Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches against Argentina in Durban and London.
These rounds will decide if the Boks retain the title or whether a different team will be crowned champions.
According to the SA Rugby website, the players ruled out of contention for selection were Lood de Jager (lock), Jean-Luc du Preez (loose forward), and Aphelele Fassi (fullback) – who all suffered injuries during the New Zealand tour – as well as Gerhard Steenekamp, Frans Malherbe (both props), Salmaan Moerat (lock), and Kurt-Lee Arendse (utility back), who have been on the injury list for different durations in the last few months.
The squad to face Argentina includes 18 forwards and 15 backline players.
The teams will meet at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, September 27, and in Twickenham, London, on October 4.
As things stand, Australia are currently on 11 points going into their Bledisloe Cup
matches against New Zealand, while the Springboks are in second place, and the All Blacks in third place (both on 10 points), while Argentina are one point back with nine points – with all four teams having won two of their four matches to date.
Fleet-footed Cheslin Kolbe, who scored a brace in the Springboks’ record 43-10 victory against the All Blacks in Wellington, was understandably happy after the game, but he wasted no time looking forward to the challenge that awaits them against Argentina in the closing leg of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
“The Pumas are playing good rugby, and it will be a good challenge when we face them,” Kolbe said on SA Rugby.
“There’s hope within our group (that we can retain the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title), so we just need to approach each training session and game at a time now, remain humble, and continue to put in the hard work.”
“Once we go back to training, I’m sure the coaches will have plans for us for the next two games,” said Kolbe.
“They’ve been playing really well in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, and it’s always a physical battle against the Argentineans.
“That said, we need to make sure we focus on ourselves and where we can be better. We must be clinical.
“Test rugby is all about being clinical, disciplined, and playing on the right side of the field,” Kolbe added.
