Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus insists his side is taking nothing for granted as they face back-to-back games against Felipe Contepomi’s high-flying Argentina.
The Boks have set up camp in Durban ahead of their decisive double-header against Argentina in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
South Africa assembled in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday evening and went straight back to work after a brief spell with their families. An early spinning and gym session on Friday was followed by an afternoon field run, with the squad set to return for more conditioning on Saturday before switching into full Test mode on Monday.
With the standings balanced on a knife-edge – the Wallabies lead on 11 points, the Springboks and All Blacks are tied on 10, and the Pumas sit on nine – the competition remains wide open heading into the final round on October 4.
Erasmus is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge.
“It’s great to be back in camp and to see the excitement and enthusiasm among the players, and we are keen to get back into the swing of things after a few days off to recover from the trip back from New Zealand,” said Erasmus.
“We have two massive encounters ahead against a psyched-up Argentinean team, who, just like every other side in the competition, believes they can win the trophy, so the extra two training days were vital for us.
“The players are fresh and charged up for the challenge ahead, and that excites us because we are going to give everything to build on our last result and give ourselves the best possible chance to win the title.”
“The players jumped straight back into action, and our focus on Friday and Saturday is to improve the areas of our game we would like to after reviewing the last match against the All Blacks, as well as our fundamentals, which will be critical against a well-rounded Pumas outfit.
“They have a powerful pack and classy playmakers in their backline, so we need to be sharp at training and ensure that we are ready mentally and physically when we approach game day next week.”
The Springbok boss also stressed the significance of closing out the home season on a high note.
“This match is significant in many ways,” he said. “It’s not only essential to get a good result to stay in the running to defend our title, but it’s also our last home game of the year, and we want to thank our fans for their passionate support throughout the year.”
South Africa host Argentina at Hollywoodbets Kings Park next Saturday before the two sides meet again in London to wrap up the Rugby Championship.
“That said, we are under no illusions that it’s going to take a top-class performance to achieve our goal in this match, but we will leave no stone unturned in trying to achieve that.”
[Source: Rugbypass]
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