Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the matches between the Boks and Barbarians and the SA 'A' team against Zimbabwe were vital to set the tone for the season.
The fixtures will help the group prepare for the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in the coming months.
The Boks’ match against the BaaBaas (15:00) will be preceded by a clash between the SA ‘A’ team and Zimbabwe (12:00) at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on 20 June.
A large Springbok contingent assembled in Johannesburg on Sunday night to begin their preparations for the season, and Erasmus was confident about the work the players have been putting in this week.
The Bok coach also praised General Manager of High Performance at SA Rugby Dave Wessels and Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foot for the good work they have done to prepare the SA U20 players for international rugby both on and off the field.
“We are fortunate to have individuals such as Dave and Kevin, who have helped us tremendously and for the work they have done with the bunch of young players coming through,” said Erasmus.
“A lot of them will get a chance against Zimbabwe, and some may play against the Barbarians as we look to rest some players who have had a big workload this season.”
Commenting on what the objectives of those two matches will be for the coaching staff, Erasmus said: “We would like a good start to the season, and like all teams, our objective is always to try to win matches. We face England, Scotland, and Wales in the opening leg of the Nations Championship in July, and then it’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, so it’s going to be tough.
“We have the same objectives for the Barbarians and SA ‘A’ games, and those are to get some players comfortable in the set-up and afford others valuable game time, and also to implement some of the aspects of the game we have been working on.
“Both the Barbarians and Zimbabwe are sides one cannot analyse much, and both teams will have quality players. The Sables are also going to the World Cup next year, so it will be a good challenge.”
Zooming into how the teams will train in the lead-up to the double-header, Erasmus said: “We’ll train together as a group until late next week and then have separate sessions with the teams next Thursday and at the captains’ runs.
“The SA ‘A’ team will also have operational, medical, and technical staff, but Mzwandile (Stick – SA ‘A’ head coach) and Deon Davids (assistant coach) will also be fully involved with the Springboks too.”
Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, who returned to the fold for the first time since facing Georgia in July last year, was thrilled to be back in the Bok squad and to return to South Africa, where he will join the Toyota Cheetahs from Japan.
“It has always been my goal to give my best for my club and to prove myself to be at the Boks, and I’m excited to be back in South Africa,” said de Klerk.
“There is obviously much less travel now, knowing that I’m going home to my family here, so I’ll continue to give my best and try to help the other players as much as I can.”
