The Springboks want to measure themselves against some of the best teams in the world on their gruelling five-match European tour, coach Rassie Erasmus says.
The Boks departed for London in different groups in the past few days, with the full squad set to assemble in the UK on Monday for what promises to be an action-packed tour.
First up for the Boks is an intriguing showdown against Japan at the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday (kickoff 6.10pm SA time).
Next up are Tests against France at Stade de France in Paris (November 8), Italy at the Allianz Stadium in Turin (November 15), Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (November 22) and Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (November 29).
“We are excited about the tour and to measure ourselves against some of the best teams in the world,” Erasmus said.
“A lot of hard work has been put in behind the scenes since the Rugby Championship for this tour, and hopefully this will set us in good standing to build on our season so far.
“Obviously, the conditions are vastly different in the UK and Europe to SA this time of the year, but fortunately most of the players in the squad have been exposed to those conditions either during their United Rugby Championship tours or by playing for overseas clubs.
“The time zone is also very similar to SA’s, which means we can slot back into full Test mode immediately from our first training session.”
Erasmus said the Boks were braced for a tough showdown against Japan at a stadium better known for hosting soccer matches than rugby fixtures.
“Japan have been improving steadily in the past few years and they defeated us a few years ago, so we have no doubt they will throw everything at us,” he said.
“The last time we faced France in Paris was in the World Cup quarterfinal and that result will psyche them up going into the match.
“They are also ranked fourth in the world and Ireland are third, and we all know how tough matches at the Aviva Stadium are against them.
“Italy, meanwhile, put up a brave fight against us in Pretoria in the Incoming Series, and that will give them confidence going into our match in Turin.
“Wales will also be up for the challenge after recovering from a tough few years earlier this season when we line up against them at the Principality Stadium, so we need to be ready mentally and physically each week to get the desired results.
“It won’t be easy, but we have a quality group of players, and we know what they are capable of doing when we stick to our structures and play to our potential on the day.
“We have delivered a few good performances but also a few disappointing ones this season, so this will be a good opportunity to test ourselves and see if we can build consistency.
“We are excited about the makeup of this squad to tour Europe.
“Most of the players in the group have been with us throughout the season, while others are back from injury or have done the job for us in the last few years.”
