The Springboks have concluded their second alignment camp in Cape Town, with coach Jacques Nienaber set to name his squad for the Wales series before the end of May.
The Bok coaching team hosted their first alignment camp in Durban in April, before heading north to meet with a few overseas-based players, and wrapped up their preparation for 2022 with a five-day camp in Cape Town on Thursday.
Nienaber and his assistant coaches touched on several on- and off-field aspects that will be important for the forthcoming season, and with an eye on the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The Boks are looking to retain their ranking as the No 1 team in the world and continue putting the building blocks in place to defend their title at the international extravaganza next year.
Boks to experience the unknown Down Under
The Springboks kick off the new season with three Tests against Wales at home, before launching into the Rugby Championship, where they will line up against the All Blacks in back-to-back home Tests, which will be followed by a tour to Australia and Argentina. They will then return home for their final Test against the Pumas in Durban in September.
“We are satisfied with the alignment camps, and we believe these sessions will be beneficial to ensure a smooth return to the training field before the three Tests against Wales,” said Nienaber.
“While the first alignment in Durban touched on the team’s programme this season and in the lead-up to the World Cup in France, as well as a broad overview of what worked last season and what we can improve on, we zoomed into more detail at this camp focusing on the key areas for the team going forward as we turn our attention to the international season and further ahead to the Rugby World Cup.”
He added: “I’m very happy with the players’ enthusiasm and their desire to keep learning and fine-tuning the areas of their game that could make a big difference in the quality of our rugby.”
With the alignment camp box being ticked, Nienaber said the next step for the coaches would be to select a squad within the next few weeks for their training camp in Pretoria from Monday, 6 June, where the squad will remain until the conclusion of their first Test against Wales at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 2 July.
