Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was satisfied that the necessary building blocks were in place for the international season as the team wrapped up their second and final alignment camp on Thursday, before their on-field preparations begin in June.
The camp, which started in Cape Town on Tuesday, included a series of boardroom sessions presented by the coaches to ensure that the players are aligned on the structures, as well as a gym session before wrapping things up with a visit to SARU House on Thursday.
“Every year after an alignment camp, we say we are happy with where we are currently, but I guess it will only be clear when we start playing,” said Erasmus.
“What we’ve tried to introduce with the alignment camps was to bring in young players who haven’t been part of our system, and others who have only been to one or two camps, so in that sense, the players are starting to feel more comfortable. They also got the opportunity to know the coaches and a little more about the structures.
“There were also injured players who were not in attendance, and some guys who attended virtually, so there were different goals, but we believe most of them were achieved. That said, it’s easy to talk now. Obviously, it has to translate onto the field.”
Erasmus added: “I think there have been more than 60 players in the two alignment camps, so in terms of spreading the net and ensuring that everyone received a fair start, we feel that has been done.
“Then there are the on-field aspects, where some guys may still be playing, and others will be flying in from abroad. In general, however, I think we are in a good place as a group, and everyone knows what we expect of each other when we start training.”
Erasmus will name his training squad for next month’s camp in the next two weeks, when the Boks will begin their on-field preparations for the season-opening double-header between the Springboks and Barbarians, and the SA ‘A’ team against Zimbabwe, in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June.
This will be followed by three back-to-back Test matches against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July) as part of the Nations Championship, and a match against Argentina in Buenos Aires (8 August) before four Tests against the All Blacks in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series in August and September.
The Boks will then travel to Australia to face the Wallabies in Perth (27 September), before the second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe, with matches against Italy (7 November), France (13 November) and Ireland (21 November), ahead of the Finals Weekend in London (27 to 29 November).