Boks to enjoy house and home against All Blacks
THE Springboks will enjoy the massive comforts and delights of home-ground advantage against the All Blacks in back-to-back Rugby Championship clashes later this year, SA Rugby revealed yesterday.
The Boks will play their fiercest rivals New Zealand on August 6 in Nelspruit in the opening round of the competition, and a week later at Ellis Park.
SA Rugby also confirmed this year’s three-Test match series in July. The Boks will play those matches against defending Six Nations champions Wales, with games scheduled to be played at Loftus on July 2, followed by the second Test in Bloemfontein on July 9, and the final Test a week later at Cape Town Stadium.
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber will then begin earnest preparations for the Rugby Championship and those backto-back clashes against the All Blacks.
The two venues for the away leg of the Rugby Championship against Australia are yet to be confirmed due to Covid-19 considerations, but are scheduled for August 27 and September 3. The Boks will then finish up the tournament against Argentina with away and home fixtures later that month.
“It’s a massive honour to represent our country, and the fact that we will be facing such tough competition this season has certainly sparked excitement among the coaches and the players alike,” Nienaber said.
“We are well under way with our planning for the year, and our knowledge of these teams, after facing all of them last season, will be vital as we forge ahead in this regard in the next few months.
“Wales, the All Blacks and Australia tested us well last season, and Argentina have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, both at home and away, so although we are expecting a challenging season, we realise the importance of laying a solid foundation as we build up toward next year’s World Cup.”
INCOMING SERIES FIXTURES
July 2: Wales, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria; July 9: Wales, Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein; July 16: Wales, Cape Town Stadium
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES August 6: New Zealand, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit; August 13: New Zealand, Ellis Park, Johannesburg; August 27: Australia, venue TBC; September 3: Australia, venue TBC; September 17: Argentina, Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires;
September 24: Argentina, Kings Park, Durban