Springboks keen to put on show in last home game before RWC
The Springboks are ready for one final push on home soil before jetting off to the Rugby World Cup.
Jacques Nienaber has called on South Africans to come out in their numbers clothed in green and gold to give the Springboks a memorable send-off in the last home Test of the year next week.
The Springboks will take on Los Pumas in a Rugby Championship Test at Ellis Park next Saturday and the match will be the team’s final appearance on South African soil in 2023 before they depart to Argentina, Wales and England where their three World Cup warm-up games will be played.
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SPRINGBOKS COUNTING ON PASSIONATE HOME CROWD
And after seven successive home sell-outs since the start of the 2022 season, Nienaber said the team was excited to mark their farewell Test in front of their passionate home crowd.
“Playing such a vital match in front of our supporters is always special,” said Nienaber. “This match may not only be the decider of the Rugby Championship, but it’s also the last match we play at home before the World Cup.
“That passionate support almost serves as an extra player for us, so we’d like to appeal to SA’s rugby faithful to come out in their green and gold and make this a memorable send-off for us.”
GETTING PLAYERS IN BEST POSSIBLE SHAPE FOR WORLD CUP
Nienaber said that managing player load in the run-up to the departure for France remained a key focus.
“One of the boxes we ticked in the last two weeks was to work on our player load. Getting that balance right is going to be vital so that we can peak at the right time this season,” Nienaber said.
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“We have a sizeable squad, and we need to ensure that we give as many players as possible the chance to stake a claim for places in the World Cup squad, while at the same time getting the desired results so that we can build momentum going into the World Cup,” the Springboks boss explained.
“We have four matches left before the international showpiece and we are still in the race for the Rugby Championship title so we intend getting down to business immediately and making the most of the time we have on and off the training field to get the squad where we would like them to be mentally and physically.”
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