The South Africa Springboks touched down in Australia on Thursday morning, arriving in high spirits after an overnight flight from Johannesburg.
Following their arrival, the team has been given the rest of the day off to recover from the long journey before resuming their on-field preparations on Friday.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ 33-man squad laid a solid foundation for their two-Test tour with rigorous training sessions in Johannesburg on Monday and Tuesday before departing for Brisbane via Sydney on Wednesday evening.
The Boks are set to kick off the 2024 edition of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, August 10. Their second clash against the Wallabies will take place at Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, August 17.
“It’s great to be in Australia and it has certainly added to our excitement for the Tests against the Wallabies and the Castle Lager Rugby Championship as a whole,” said Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick.
“We had a smooth journey to Brisbane with an overnight flight to Sydney and then made the short trip to Brisbane soon after, so the players were able to rest well on the long-haul flight. They will have additional time tonight (Australia time) to recover from the travel, and then we’ll hit the ground running on the training field on Friday.”
Stick acknowledged the challenges of facing the Wallabies in Australia, emphasizing the importance of acclimatizing and familiarizing themselves with the conditions.
“Having a few extra days to acclimatize and familiarize ourselves with the conditions will be invaluable,” he noted.
“We started the season well with three victories in our four matches to date (against Wales, Ireland, and Portugal), and although we would have loved to win the second Test against Ireland, we have a good base to build from going into the Rugby Championship.”
The Springboks recognize that playing against Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina will present different challenges compared to the teams they have faced so far this season.
Stick expressed the team’s enthusiasm for the competition: “We enjoy playing against these teams and we are really looking forward to the competition.”
After their Australian tour, the Springboks will return to South Africa on Sunday, August 18, where they will continue the competition against their arch-rivals New Zealand on August 31 in Johannesburg and September 7 in Cape Town. This will be followed by a short trip to Argentina to face Los Pumas in Santiago on Saturday, September 21, before they wrap up the tournament in Nelspruit against Argentina on Saturday, September 28.
The Springboks’ journey to Australia marks the beginning of an intense and exciting period for the team, as they aim to build on their recent successes and challenge for the top honors in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship. With the anticipation of fierce competition and the support of their fans, the Springboks are ready to showcase their strength and determination on the international stage.
