The Springboks have wrapped up their two-week training camp with head coach Rassie Erasmus looking forward to a competitive 2025 Rugby Championship.
The squad will reassemble on Sunday ahead of their tournament opener against Australia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, with Erasmus confident that the team are well prepared for what lies ahead.
Rugby Championship’s intensity and competitiveness
South Africa beat the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia during the incoming series, but the Boks are expecting a far bigger challenge in the form of the Wallabies, All Blacks and Los Pumas, respectively.
“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 Castle Lager Rugby Championship next week,” Erasmus told the Springboks‘ official website.
“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.”
The format of the Rugby Championship sees the Springboks face Australia in back-to-back matches before doing the same against New Zealand and Argentina.
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Psyched-up Wallabies
Erasmus, therefore, explained that the Boks will be approaching their title defence in three blocks and expects a mighty challenge against a Wallabies outfit that impressed against the British and Irish Lions despite falling to a 2-1 series defeat.
“We are approaching the tournament in three different blocks, the first of which is the leg against Australia, and we have no doubt they will want to build on their performances in their last two matches against the British & Irish Lions,” he said.
“Similarly, we would like to continue building momentum and our results in the Castle Lager Incoming Series, although we are under no illusions about the challenges these teams will pose.
“We are excited for the challenge ahead, and we are looking forward to returning to the field next week.”
Commenting on the camp, Erasmus added: “The camp included a series of gym and field training sessions, as well as boardroom sessions, which were vital for us to realign regarding our standards and what we want to achieve on the field.
“It was very productive, and we hope that it will benefit us as we prepare to face a psyched-up and physical Australian team following the British & Irish Lions Series.
“We then have a tour to New Zealand, and face Argentina, and both those teams pose their own threats, so hopefully we can build on these standards.”