Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said he’ll continue with the team consistency that helped it win the 2023 Rugby World Cup and dominate world rugby in the past two years.
These include the rotational system of the squad and mixing old and new players during the callups.
His comments come as the team concluded its first week of the training camp in Johannesburg on Friday, with the players expected to reassemble at the same venue on Sunday for another week of preparation before departing to Cape Town for the Barbarians match.
The Boks are preparing for the Qatar Airways Cup clash against the Barbarians on 28 June, the Castle Lager Incoming Series, which will feature back-to-back Tests against Italy in Pretoria and Gqeberha on 5 and 12 July, and Georgia in Nelspruit on 19 July.
“We would like to do something like last year, where the senior players and some of the younger players contribute on the field.
We have players in the squad who could still play until 2026, but that does not negate the fact that they can still deliver on the field for us.
We have an eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but our mindset this year will be fixed on trying to win all our matches, while at the same time broadening our squad depth and experience.
Our goal is to ensure that by the next World Cup, most of the players have more than 15 Test caps,” said Erasmus.
The coach has called a 55-man squad for the camp, which includes two uncapped players, Cobus Wiese and Juarno Augustus, who were unable to report for duty this week.
The other uncapped players in the group are Marnus van der Merwe, Neethling Fouche, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Renzo du Plessis, Vincent Tshituka, Ethan Hooker, and Ntokozo Makhaza.
Erasmus expressed happiness with the first week of the camp.
“It has been going well.
A few of the younger players are obviously still finding their feet, while the players who have been in the set-up in the last few years have been determined to show that they can maintain their form at this level,” explained the coach.
Erasmus however highlighted that the squad would be reduced next week, following injury assessments after the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final between the Vodacom Bulls and Leinster at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday.
“We will wait to see if there are any injuries from the Vodacom URC final and then announce the group of players on Sunday that will get together next week.
That said, it doesn’t mean that those players are the only ones who will be in the mix this year.
There are players who are returning from injury within the next few weeks and months, and we would like to see some of the players who have been playing well get a chance this season,” remarked the coach.
Trevor Nyakane, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom are all nursing long-term injuries, while Gerhard Steenekamp, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ben-Jason Dixon, Augustus, and Lukhanyo Am have all been cleared medically before they will be available for selection.
Jasper Wiese, Grant Williams and Makazole Mapimpi, who are also carrying niggling injuries, are expected to return to action in the coming weeks.
