Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says there will be a significant shift in intensity and competitiveness going into the Rugby Championship.
After July wins over lower-ranked Italy and Georgia, the Boks will reassemble in Joburg on Sunday to prepare for back-to-back Tests against a battle-hardened Wallabies outfit – at Ellis Park next Saturday and in Cape Town a week later.
“We are pleased with the hard work the players put in over the last two weeks, and we are looking forward to making the switch into the Rugby Championship next week,” said Erasmus.
“The intensity and competitiveness of this competition will be completely different, and our conditioning camp was important to allow us to make that step-up physically and mentally.
“We will be going up against quality teams in the Wallabies, All Blacks and Pumas, so it was important to lay a strong foundation on and off the field before we go into full Test-match week from Sunday.”
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Erasmus said the camp featured gym and field training sessions, as well as boardroom meetings to realign standards and objectives.
“It was very productive, and we hope it will benefit us as we prepare to face a psyched-up and physical Australian team following the Lions series.
“We are approaching the tournament in three different blocks, the first of which is the leg against Australia. We have no doubt they will want to build on their performances against the Lions, while we want to carry the momentum from the incoming series.
“We’re under no illusions about the challenge, but we’re excited to get going.”
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Springboks’ Rugby Championship fixtures:
16 August: vs Australia – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
23 August: vs Australia – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
6 September: vs New Zealand – Eden Park, Auckland
13 September: vs New Zealand – Sky Stadium, Wellington
27 September: vs Argentina – Kings Park, Durban
4 October: vs Argentina – Twickenham, London
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
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