Boks excited to play in Adelaide

THE Springboks have not beaten the Wallabies in Australia since 2013 and will be hoping that a brand new venue later this year will bring about a change in fortune.

For the first time, the Boks will play a Test in Adelaide in their Rugby Championship fixture on 27 August and again against the Wallabies a week later in Sydney.

Last year, the Boks lost back-to-back Tests to the Wallabies in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, and the last time they won on Australian soil was under coach Heyneke Meyer and captain Jean de Villiers when they racked up an impressive scoreline of 38-12 in Brisbane.

That result and score were very much an anomaly and the Boks haven’t won in Australia since.

Regarding the Boks’ six home Tests this year, SA Rugby has confirmed that they will all kick off at 5.05pm against Wales in July, as well as the three Rugby Championship Tests against New Zealand at Mbombela Stadium (6 August) and at Ellis Park (13 August), with the final match of the tournament, against Argentina at Kings Park (24 September). The three fixtures against Wales are at Loftus (2 July), Free State Stadium (9 July) and at Cape Town Stadium (16 July).

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber is excited about the Boks making their first appearance in Adelaide, and returning to Sydney for the first time in more than a decade, and says it would be a great experience for the team after becoming accustomed to playing mainly in Brisbane and Perth in the last few years.

“We are very excited about playing in Adelaide for the first time and hopefully we can make the most of this occasion,” said Nienaber.

SPRINGBOK FIXTURES Incoming Tour v Wales

* Saturday, July 2, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria @ 5.05pm

* Saturday, July 9, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein @ 5.05pm

* Saturday, July 16 @ Cape Town Stadium @ 5.05pm

Rugby Championship

* Saturday, August 6 v All Blacks, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit @ 5.05pm * Saturday, August 13 v All Blacks, Emirates Airline Park @ Johannesburg

* Saturday, August 27 v Australia v Springboks, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, TBC * Saturday, September 3 v Australia v Springboks, in New South Wales, venue and time TBC

* Saturday, September 17 v Argentina, Estadio Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires @ 9.10pm

* Saturday, September 24 v Argentina, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban @ 5.05pm