SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and SA ‘A’ head coach Mzwandile Stick expressed excitement about the squad they plan to announce next week for their matches against Munster and the Bristol Bears and said the tour would bode well for the national structures and players with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup.
A squad of 26 players will be named next Friday for the two-match tour against Munster on Thursday, 10 November, and the Bristol Bears a week later on 17 November, with Erasmus revealing that a handful of players will dovetail between the Springbok and SA ‘A’ teams as they look to give some guys valuable game time and expose a number of youngsters to international rugby in the green and gold.
“There will be some players in the initial Springbok touring group of 34 players that will double up between the Boks and SA ‘A’ teams, so there will be some big names playing in these matches and we expect them to pose stiff competition,” said Erasmus.
Stick hinted that they would announce an exciting group of players for the two-match tour: “The SA ‘A’ matches are very important, especially if one looks at the player depth we want to achieve.
“We are in a good position with some guys performing well for their clubs and franchises, and it will be good for those players who will not necessarily get a chance against Ireland to play for the SA ‘A’ team.
“I’m excited about the names we plan to announce for the tour next week,” added Stick.
Erasmus and Stick’s comments followed on the announcement of a 26-member squad invited to attend a Springbok training camp in Stellenbosch from Sunday to Wednesday, where Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and his assistant coaches will start their preparations for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour which will feature Tests against Ireland in Dublin on 5 November, France in Marseille on 12 November, Italy in Genoa on 19 November and England in London on 26 November.
Both Erasmus and Stick spoke highly of the opposition the SA ‘A’ side will face, with Erasmus commenting: “Munster beat the New Zealand Māori’s and they are giant slayers. We also knew the locals would support the match and fill the stadium. Over and above that they play a style of rugby which we are expecting to face in the Rugby World Cup.
“The Bristol Bears, meanwhile, are coached by Pat Lam, and they play more of a New Zealand style of rugby and depending on how things pan out in the World Cup, we could face the All Blacks in the quarter final. It also made sense logistically to face these teams.”
Stick was excited to see what the SA ‘A’ team would dish up against these top clubs in front of sold-out crowds.
“A lot of thought went into the decision to face these two teams,” said Stick.
“Munster have proven how competitive they are against some of the top international clubs, while the Bristol side features several players with their own X-factor, and they like to keep the ball in hand, so our players will be exposed to two different styles of play, which is fantastic as we look ahead to the World Cup.”
An initial Springbok touring squad of 34 players will assemble in Dublin on Sunday, 30 October, while another group of 20 players will travel to Ireland on Saturday, 5 November, as part of the SA ‘A’ contingent.
They will be joined by a few players from the first touring group in Cork.
