The Springboks said they’re ready to face a much-improved Scotland, when the two teams clash at Murrayfield on Sunday in their opening match of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour.
The Boks will face Scotland in Edinburgh on 10 November, England in London on 16 November, and Wales in Cardiff on 23 November on their traditional end-of-year tour.
The team arrived in Edinburgh on Sunday, after spending a week camping in Jersey, to ensure that the players get back into Test mode ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Bok lock Ruan Nortje said they wont underestimate the Scots.
“Scotland are a dynamic team, and they have threats across the field, so we know it’s going to be a tough Test, but we are excited about the challenge ahead.
They have a solid forward pack, so we are expecting a big onslaught from them, and we know we have to be ready for that mentally and physically.
So, our preparation needs to be on point, and entering the match we need to be fully ready for the opposition is going to bring,” said Nortje.
Meanwhile, Duane Vermeulen, the embedded SA Rugby Mobi unit coach in the Bok camp, said Scotland has improved since it last played the Springboks during the group stages of Rugby World Cup pool stages in France.
He said the week-long camp in Jersey was important as it prepared the team and help it acclimatise to the United Kingdom conditions.
“This week a new challenge lies ahead against Scotland.
They’ve certainly changed their approach in the last few years, so we are expecting a proper Test match.
They are playing at home in front of a passionate home crowd, and they’ll certainly be up for the game.
They’ve also brought a few players into their squad who are performing well, and Glasgow won the Vodacom United Rugby Championship last season, so they are definitely doing something right,” explained Vermeulen.
