The Springboks were left stunned after the Wallabies staged a comeback to secure a 38-22 victory at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Siya Kolisi said their Castle Lager 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 were at the level they needed to be going into the encounter.
Springbok prop Boan Venter will provide front-row cover off the bench in Saturday’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship opener against Australia after coach Rassie Erasmus was forced to make a late change to his team following the withdrawal of Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Springbok Women performance coach Swys de Bruin described his team’s departure to the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England as “the wrapped bicycle under the Christmas tree” and said they are well prepared for their most significant tournament in three years.
The fourth round of the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off on Friday at 15h00 in Kimberley, where Suzuki Griquas will be eager to increase their points tally when they host the winless Hollywoodbets Sharks XV.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks XV are back on the road for the third time in four weeks as they travel to Kimberley to take on the Suzuki Griquas in a Carling Currie Cup fourth round clash against the 2022 finalists on Friday afternoon.
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.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a strong team for the side’s opening Castle Lager 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.
Nolusindiso Booi, the most-capped Springbok Women’s player, will lead a strong South African squad containing 19 players out of the 32 with previous Women’s Rugby World Cup experience to the 2025 global showpiece which kicks off in England in a few weeks’ time.
The Springboks wrapped up their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg where they continued to put in the hard yards for the Castle Lager 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.