Springboks fly out Thursday for first away matches in 22 months
The Springboks, the 2019 Rugby Championship title winners, will fly to Australia on Thursday to prepare for their first away matches next month since being crowned World Cup champions in November 2019. South Africa took the world by storm in Japan nearly two years ago but the pandemic has meant that the six Test matches they have played since then have all been at home against Georgia, the Lions and Argentina.
Having opted out of last year’s Rugby Championship, which was staged in Australia, due to fears about their players not being conditioned enough after the sport in South Africa had ground to a halt due to the pandemic, the Springboks are now more than ready to complete a 2021 campaign that commenced in recent weeks with back-to-back wins over Argentina in Port Elizabeth.
Amid continuing concerns over Covid-19 and travel restrictions, SANZAAR decided that the remaining four rounds of the Championship would be best played in the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville.
The Springboks, who haven’t played an away match in the Rugby Championship since defeating Argentina in Salta in August 2019 to win that year’s title, will kick off the away leg of their 2021 campaign against Australia on Sunday, September 12, in the Gold Coast which will be followed by another match-up between the teams in Brisbane six days later.
These fixtures will be followed by back-to-back matches against New Zealand on Saturday, September 25, in Townsville and Saturday, October 2, in the Gold Coast. The matches were initially scheduled to be hosted in Sydney, Brisbane, Dunedin and Auckland respectively.
Europe and South Africa were both reportedly options…https://t.co/Qk2DiJc3vc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 23, 2021
Each round will feature a double-header of matches between the four participating teams at the same venue – and fans will be allowed to attend the matches. “We’re pleased that the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match schedule has been finalised and we are looking forward to continuing our campaign in Australia,” said Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.
“We can now continue our planning to ensure that the players are ready for the next four matches from a physical and mental point of view and we are excited about facing our old foes Australia and New Zealand again after kicking off the tournament well against Argentina.”
The Springboks and Pumas will travel to Australia together on Thursday afternoon and both teams will be placed in quarantine for two weeks before taking the field, after which they will then operate normally in Australia with no restrictions being placed on their movements.
Despite being in quarantine, the Boks will be allowed to train as they have been in South Africa since the start of the Lions series. “The two-week quarantine period means we will be on tour for just under six weeks, but we are looking forward to experiencing normal life after a year-and-a-half of living under several forms of adjusted Covid-19 restrictions in South Africa,” said Nienaber.
“This will certainly assist in ensuring that the players are fresh mentally when they take the field, which is essential for them to peak in form.” The Springboks have had Monday and Tuesday off to rest and recover from the physically and mentally taxing schedule of the last two months.
UPDATED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Round One – August 14
New Zealand 57 Australia 22 (Eden Park, Auckland)
Springboks 32 Argentina 12 (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay)
Round Two – August 21
Argentina 10 Springboks 29 (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay)
TBC: Australia v New Zealand (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Round Three – September 12 (CBUS Super Stadium, Gold Coast)
New Zealand v Argentina
Springboks v Australia
Round Four – September 18 (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Argentina v New Zealand
Australia v Springboks
Round Five – September 25 (QLD Country Bank Stadium, Townsville)
New Zealand v Springboks
Australia v Argentina
Round Six – October 2 (CBUS Super Stadium, Gold Coast)
Springboks v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
Ian Foster has convinced the powers that be that he's the man to put the All Blacks back on top of the world. #AllBlackshttps://t.co/eFz2rtosdQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 24, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments