Boks squad’s depth to be measured
Test against England will determine state of readiness for World Cup
Saturday ’ s Test against England at Twickenham will put the spotlight on how deep the Springboks squad depth is.
The Boks will be without Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane, Jasper Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Cheslin Kolbe and Andre Esterhuizen as they returned to their clubs because the game is out of the international Test window.
Other key figures in the Boks team such as Lukhanyo Am and Pieter-Steph du Toit will also not be available.
The game against England at the home of rugby will present a chance for the Boks brains trust to see how deep their squad is.
“Part of our journey this year was to ensure that we put ourselves out there and try to get answers on different aspects of our preparation for the World Cup,” said Springboks forwards coach Deon Davids.
“That includes squad depths, informing players on combinations, our strategy, the way we play the game. The threats and challenges we receive from the opposition and how we can handle that.
“So, I think we got a lot of answers in those aspects. We are not the finished product yet but I think after this year we will have a good idea of where we stand in terms of our squad depth and the way we play at this level and the things we can prepare for. That was part of the challenge,” he said.
The England match will mean the Boks will have played all the potential contenders for next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.
They have played the All Blacks, Ireland and France in this calendar year. Saturday’s Test with England will give an idea of the Boks’ state of readiness for the defence of their title.
“We are realistic in the sense of understanding that teams get better and the game evolves. We’ll take the experiences from this year and try to build,” said Davids.
“This is an important game and an important step for us towards the World Cup.
“Playing the best teams, teams that are in the top five in the competition as preparation before the World Cup, it’s some of the best practice you can get,” he said.