By Adnaan Mohamed
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus jetted off to London on Sunday, bracing for a five-week European tour that promises to test every sinew and synapse of the world champions.
The full squad will regroup in the UK on Monday morning, ready to tackle a sequence of five Test matches that reads like a gauntlet of rugby heavyweights.
The Boks kick off their campaign against Japan at Wembley Stadium on 1 November, before locking horns with France in Paris, Italy in Turin, Ireland in Dublin, and Wales in Cardiff. Each encounter will present a fresh challenge in vastly different conditions.
Erasmus, ever the strategist, knows that touring Europe in November is no spring picnic. It’s more like a muddy, cold-weather arm wrestle, where slick southern flair must survive in the trenches.
“We are excited about the tour and to measure ourselves against some of the best teams in the world,” he said before departure.
“A lot of hard work has been put in behind the scenes since the Rugby Championship, and hopefully this will set us in good standing to build on our season so far.”
The Bok mentor is acutely aware of the curveballs awaiting his squad. This includes the heavy air, damp pitches, and bruising opposition. But he believes his players are well-prepared for the north’s wintry grind.
“The conditions are vastly different in the UK and Europe to South Africa this time of the year,” Erasmus noted.
“But fortunately, most of the players 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 South Africa, which means we can slot back into full Test mode immediately from our first training session on Monday.”
If the schedule looks daunting on paper, Erasmus embraces it like a seasoned flanker facing down a charging number eight.
He knows the mental battle will be just as fierce as the physical one. It’s been 10 years since Japan caused one of the biggests upsets in the rugby world when the Brave Blossoms beat the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in Brighton in England in 2015.
“Japan have been improving steadily over the last few years, and they defeated us a few years ago, so we have no doubt they will come out guns blazing next Saturday and throw everything at us,” he said.
France and Ireland, both top-four sides, loom as potential tour-defining tests.
“The last time we faced France in Paris was in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and that result will psyche them up going into the match against them,” said Erasmus.
“They are also ranked fourth in the world currently, and Ireland third, and we all know how tough matches at the Aviva Stadium are against them.”
He also expects spirited resistance from Italy and Wales. These two teams have plenty to prove on home turf.
“Italy put up a brave fight against us in Pretoria, 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, so we need to be ready mentally and physically each week to get the desired results.”
“It won’t be easy,” he concluded, “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.”