Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are bracing for battle with the new No 1 team in the world as they head towards Tests against the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday 6 September, and at the Sky Stadium in Wellington a week later on 13 September.
It’s these back-to-back games that could very well determined the eventual Rugby Championship winner, and after landing in Auckland, the Springboks are carefully managing the players before switching into Test week mode.
“We’ve worked out our training schedule this week in a way that would allow the players to recover from the two physical matches against Australia, while at the same time steadily get into the swing of things for the next two matches,” said Erasmus.
“So, we will have only two training sessions this week and then go full throttle from Monday.”
Rassie fully aware of what lies in store for Springboks
After the All Blacks battles, the Springboks will then return to South Africa to face Argentina in Durban on Saturday 27 September, before wrapping up their campaign against the Pumas in London on 4 October.
“We travelled well, and although it’s a long trip to New Zealand, we are excited to be here and we are looking forward to the challenge ahead,” Erasmus added.
“It’s always tough playing here, but the group is in good spirits, and we are fully aware of the magnitude of the task ahead.
“With all four teams in the Rugby Championship having won one match so far and the standings very tight at this stage, there’s no doubt that the next two games will be crucial in our campaign, so it’s good that we travelled early in the week.
“The time zone and conditions are obviously very different from back home, so it’s important that we acclimatise and settle in as quickly as possible to ensure that we are sharp at training and ready to be at our best by the time we face the All Blacks next weekend.”
WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE GAMES IN NZ?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
