Springboks to Welcome Back Several Key Players for End-of-Year Tour
The Springboks are set to benefit from the return of several top players as they prepare for their end-of-year tour. Although the Springboks dominated the Rugby Championship, an often-overlooked aspect was that they did so without a number of their star players.
This situation allowed the coaching staff to focus on increasing squad depth, but now a host of seasoned players are ready to rejoin the squad. RG Snyman, Edwill van der Merwe, Jean Kleyn, and Damian Willemse have all recovered from serious injuries, while Faf de Klerk is also likely to be available for selection.
This season, the Springboks have already fielded 49 different players, and this number is expected to grow as they make further adjustments during the tour. Head coach Rassie Erasmus highlighted that the coaches are already in preparation mode for the upcoming matches.
“Our job is to keep a close eye on the URC,” Erasmus noted. “We watched the Currie Cup to monitor the progress of players like Quan Horn and Morne van den Berg. Thomas du Toit will likely return to Bath, and we face a tough three-match schedule where we aim to remain unbeaten. It would be a great season if we only lost two games.”
Erasmus added that while the players will take a three-week break, the coaches will continue working. “They’ll return to their franchises, and after three weeks, we’ll gather the available players in Cape Town. This will include around 10 players currently based in England and Japan, and as they are released, we’ll begin our final preparations before heading overseas.”
Here’s a Reminder of the Springboks’ Remaining Fixtures for 2024:
- Sunday, 10 November: Scotland vs. South Africa (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
- Saturday, 16 November: England vs. South Africa (Twickenham, London)
- Saturday, 23 November: Wales vs. South Africa (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
