12 Boks in training, assessment and conditioning camp

12 Springboks will participate in a four-day training, assessment and conditioning camp, from 23 to 26 October in Cape Town.

Current Springbok squad members involved in the Currie Cup play-offs, or playing for clubs in England and Japan, were not considered for the camp.

Springbok management wants a first-hand opportunity to assess the medical, conditioning and fitness status of the players as the Springboks prepare for the Outgoing Tour.

South Africa will face Ireland (11 November, Dublin), France (18 November, Paris), Italy (25 November, Padova) and Wales (2 December, Cardiff) on their month-long European Tour.

The Springbok medical and conditioning team will keep a watchful eye on the selected players, while the coaches will hit them with skills training and tactical planning sessions.

Springbok coach Allister Coetzee insists the camp is a vital cog important in their tour preparations.

“The European tour will provide us with different challenges and we will, therefore, use the four days to spend some time on our fundamentals, continued rehabilitation and conditioning of this group of players,” Coetzee said.

“Our management will be working hard during this period to finalise our detailed planning for the upcoming tour, and overall it will give us a good indication of the progress of those players who have recovered from injury, or those currently battling with niggles.

“They now had proper rest and recovery for almost two weeks and we must make sure they are rugby ready to ensure optimal performance for the challenges awaiting us at the end of the year tour.”

The Springbok squad will be announced on Sunday, 29 October – the day after the Currie Cup final – and the squad will assemble in Johannesburg on Monday, 30 October.

The four-day training, assessment and conditioning squad:

Frans Malherbe (prop, Western Province, medical assessments only) 
Tendai Mtawarira (prop, Sharks)
Coenie Oosthuizen (prop, Sharks)
Trevor Nyakane (prop, Blue Bulls)
Steven Kitshoff (prop, Western Province)
Eben Etzebeth (lock, Western Province)
Pieter-Steph du Toit (lock/flank, Western Province)
Lood de Jager (lock, Blue Bulls)
Siya Kolisi (flank, Western Province)
Handré Pollard (fly-half, Blue Bulls)
Damian de Allende (centre, Western Province)
Jesse Kriel (centre, Blue Bulls)