A revamped Springboks team will face the Wallabies in a one-off Test in Perth on Sunday after coach Rassie Erasmus decided to send Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende home for some well-earned rest and recuperation.
Erasmus said Du Toit and De Allende, who had a heavy workload this season, would return to SA to spend time with their families because he had sufficient cover ahead of Sunday’s Test at the 61,000-seat Optus Stadium (kickoff 11:45am SA time).
The Boks are based in the coastal town of Terrigal, north of Sydney, and will make the trip to Perth early this week
“It was a long journey from Baltimore to get here,” Bok captain Siya Kolisi said.
“But it was a great success in the USA, and being here in Australia now and preparing for this game is really important for the team.”
SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer said he was highly satisfied with the first edition of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series between the Boks and the All Blacks, which featured three Tests in SA and one in the US.
“When the concept was first discussed with New Zealand, we believed that the event had merit as a rugby occasion and one that would excite supporters in both countries,” he said.
“But I think it is fair to say that it exceeded our expectations in how quickly and decisively it attracted broader rugby attention and how successful it was as an event here in South Africa and in the USA.”
“A British and Irish Lions tour is a very special event with a history and a legacy that stretches back more than a century and is completely unique.
“That said, we believe that rugby’s Greatest Rivalry has already established itself as an important event on the global rugby calendar.”
Another building block to ensure the Boks hit the ground running in their World Cup title defence in 2027 has been put in place with the announcement of plans for a Test against Fiji.
SA and the Flying Fijians will complete their preparations for the World Cup with a Test at the Polytec Stadium in Gosford, Australia, on September 18, 2027.
SA will start their world title run just over two weeks later when they take on Italy in Adelaide on October 3.
The match against Fiji marks only the fourth time the two nations have met.
It will give fans the first opportunity to see the four-time Rugby World Cup champions, who are defending their title, and the live-wire Fijians in action ahead of the global showpiece.
As part of their commitment to the region, both teams will take up residence on the Central Coast in the run-up to and after the Test.
High-performance training camps will be set up using the region’s world-class facilities and the teams will be integrated into the local community.
Erasmus said: “We are very excited about the announcement of the clash against Fiji as part of our preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, and for the opportunity to play another Test match in Gosford on the Central Coast after last facing the Pacific Islanders there in 2004.”
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