Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber likened his team’s hard-fought 22-21 Castle Lager Rugby Championship victory over Argentina on Saturday to a typical Rugby World Cup arm wrestle.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber named a squad of 26 players for the trip to Buenos Aires for their opening Rugby World Cup warm-up game on Saturday, 5 August, with several players who did not feature against the Pumas at Emirates Airline Park, boarding the airplane early on Sunday morning.
Springbok captain Duane Vermeulen and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick stressed the importance of closing off the home leg of their 2023 season on a high note before the team enters their Rugby World Cup warm-up games and said a victory would be special for many reasons.
The weekend’s Women’s Premier Division action will see mouth-watering clashes in Ceres, Cape Town and Durban on Saturday, while in the top four sides will meet in Bloemfontein and George in the First Division semi-finals.
A large group of players – including seven who are uncapped at senior international level – will assemble in Stellenbosch from Friday as Springbok Women interim head coach Louis Koen gets the ball rolling for their WXV preparation with an alignment camp at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport.
Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen will lead a new-look Bok team in their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday in what could be the competition decider depending on the result between New Zealand and Australia in Melbourne.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said his team were aligned and refocussed in anticipation of their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against the Pumas in Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 July, following a thorough debrief of the match against New Zealand and a handful of training sessions in Pretoria in the last two days.
The South African U18 team will face their age-group counterparts from France and England in Durbanville and Paarl near Cape Town when the annual U18 International Series kicks off next month.
The Women’s Premier Division resumes on Saturday after a short break and all three encounters will be crucial for the teams involved, with the race to the final spot in the semi-finals becoming more contested as the sides reach the business end of the competition.
Springboks duo Eben Etzebeth and Jaden Hendrikse will be available for South Africa Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter against Argentina on July 29.