The Springboks departed for France in high spirits on Friday as they look forward to a one-week training camp in Paris before taking the field in the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour, starting next week Saturday.
The Boks will spend the week in Paris where they will have a number of training sessions and participate in a handful of Rugby World Cup 2023 promotional events, before departing for Cardiff on Sunday, 31 October, where they will prepare for their opening Test against Wales at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, 6 November.
This match will be followed by back-to-back Tests against Scotland in Edinburgh and England in London on Saturday 13 and 20 November respectively.
“We are looking forward to the tour - it is going to be a good challenge for us," said Nienaber.
“We are playing against three quality teams in Wales, Scotland and England, and all of them will test us differently in terms of their style of play.
“The on-field conditions will also be different to that which we have experienced in the international season up to now, so this will be a good test for the team.”
With the majority of the squad coming off a two-week break after returning from the Castle Lager Rugby Championship in Australia, Nienaber said the players were excited to return to the field and to play in the northern hemisphere for the first time since the 2018 season.
“We haven’t played in the northern hemisphere for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Rugby World Cup in 2019, which has certainly added to the excitement for this tour,” said Nienaber.
“The last time we faced England and Wales was in the Rugby World Cup, and we are expecting all of the sides to come out firing, especially in front of their passionate home crowds.
“It is important that we stick to our structures as a team and prepare as well as possible, and hopefully we will get the desired results.”
Castle Lager Outgoing Tour fixtures (SA kick-off times):
Saturday, 6 November
19h30 – Wales v South Africa (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
Saturday, 13 November
15h00 – Scotland v South Africa (BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
Saturday, 20 November
17h15 – England v South Africa (Twickenham, London)