The Springboks touched down in Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon ready to switch into full-out Test mode with an eye on their clash against Scotland next Sunday, with Wilco Louw saying they were in the right frame of mind going into the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour after a tough training camp in Jersey.
The Springboks arrived on the Channel Island last Monday and had a full training week to prepare for the Tests against Scotland, who come off a morale-boosting 57-17 victory against Fiji on Saturday, England (Saturday 16 November) and Wales (Saturday 23 November).
They made the direct journey from Jersey to Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon and after arriving in the Scottish capital, Louw said “It definitely feels real now”.
“We had a good training week in Jersey,” he said. “It offered us a great opportunity to align as a squad after everyone returned from their franchises and clubs, so we’re really excited about the week ahead here in Scotland.”
With the camp now over and the squad settled and focused on the task at hand, Louw said they were ready for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour.
“We’re definitely where we want to be going to into the tour after having a chance to get on the same page and focus on the match against Scotland next week,” said Louw.
“The last week was tough but good, and we’re in a good space. Everyone knows what our objectives are, which is important because it’s going to be a tough game against Scotland.
“They kept the team busy in the Rugby World Cup pool match last year, so we know it’s going to be challenging, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Louw – who was named on the Boks’ standby list for the Castle Lager Incoming Series earlier this year – played the last of his 14 Tests in 2021 and said he was thrilled to be back in the national squad.
“It’s amazing – most of these players have won two World Cups, so it’s an absolute privilege being back here,” he said.
“With all the experience in the group, it’s good to be on the field with all these legends. Hopefully, we’ll have another good week of preparation in Scotland in the lead-up to the Test match.”
With the match playing out on Sunday, the players will have Sunday and Monday to recover from the training camp before beginning their on-field preparations for the encounter on Tuesday.