Rassie Erasmus’ ‘easy to talk now’ verdict after second Springboks alignment camp
Head coach Rassie Erasmus and an inset of Springboks captain Siya Kolisi.
Following the conclusion of the final Springboks alignment camp before the international rugby season, Rassie Erasmus is satisfied that the outcomes of the two camps were achieved, but knows that the proof will be on the field.
Over 60 players attended the two camps as Erasmus cast a wide net ahead of what will be a testing international season with the inaugural Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, while preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup ramp up too.
Rassie’s verdict after final alignment camp
Last week, Erasmus stressed the purpose of the second and final camp that took place in Cape Town, saying: “It’s important to be clear about the objective of this alignment camp, and that is to expose these players to our environment, our standards, and the way we operate.
“The players who will not be present, whether through injury or workload, remain in our plans, and each one of them is on his own path with his own set of timelines.
“This week will give us the chance to align those who are fit and firing now with the way we want to operate, so that when an opportunity arises either this year or further down the line, they are ready to step up and deliver at international level.”
Having wrapped up proceedings on Thursday, the Springboks boss has issued his verdict on the success of the alignment camps and while he is pleased, he is not getting too far ahead of himself.
“Every year after an alignment camp, we say we are happy with where we are currently, but I guess it will only be clear when we start playing,” he said.
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“What we’ve tried to introduce with the alignment camps was to bring in young players who haven’t been part of our system, and others who have only been to one or two camps, so in that sense, the players are starting to feel more comfortable. They also got the opportunity to know the coaches and a little more about the structures.
“There were also injured players who were not in attendance, and some guys who attended virtually, so there were different goals, but we believe most of them were achieved. That said, it’s easy to talk now. Obviously, it has to translate onto the field.”
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Springboks are in a good place
Erasmus added: “I think there have been more than 60 players in the two alignment camps, so in terms of spreading the net and ensuring that everyone received a fair start, we feel that has been done.
“Then there are the on-field aspects, where some guys may still be playing, and others will be flying in from abroad. In general, however, I think we are in a good place as a group, and everyone knows what we expect of each other when we start training.”
Having invited over 60 players to the alignment camps, Erasmus and his staff will now whittle down the list for the upcoming incoming internationals, with the Springboks’ first game of the season being against the Barbarians on June 20, with South Africa A taking on Zimbabwe on the same day.
Erasmus will name his training squad for the first training camp in the next two weeks, SA Rugby confirmed, with the Springboks hosting England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July) as part of the Nations Championship after the clash with the Baa-Baas.
They will then clash with Argentina in Buenos Aires (8 August) before four Tests against the All Blacks in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September. South Africa will face the Wallabies in Perth on 27 September, before the second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe, with matches against Italy (7 November), France (13 November) and Ireland (21 November), ahead of the Finals Weekend in London (27 to 29 November).
