jacques nienaber springboks Rugby Championship

Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber. Photo: SA Rugby website

Springboks in the dark regarding Wallabies plan of attack

The Springboks are trying their best to plan for what the Wallabies will be trying to achieve ahead of their Rugby Championship encounter.

by Wade Pretorius

28-06-2023 09:55

in Rugby

Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber. Photo: SA Rugby website

The Springboks are trying their best to plan for what the Wallabies will be trying to achieve ahead of their Rugby Championship encounter.

Looking ahead at their opening Test of the season against Australia, who will return to the international stage under the guidance of coach Eddie Jones, Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber said the Bok focus was on their own game, especially with the change in coaching staff in the Wallabies team.

Wallabies have Springboks guessing

“As we said last week, it’s tough to prepare to face Australia because we’re not sure if they’ll play with an Eddie Jones or Dave Rennie mindset, so the key for us is to focus on ourselves,” said Nienaber.

“We have to be able to adapt to whatever they throw at us on the day.”

Nienaber added: “I’m not entirely sure how they (Australia) are working with their squads,” said Nienaber. “I’ve seen they have two squads with different names, and that one squad will face us and the other remain behind. So everyone is gearing up for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship to build momentum before the World Cup.”

The Springboks will play three World Cup warm-up games after the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against Argentina in Buenos Aires (5 August), Wales in Cardiff (19 August) and New Zealand in London (25 August) before they make the journey to France for the global spectacle.

The first Rugby Championship game is nearing and we have a good idea of what the Springboks starting XV will look like against the Wallabies.

EXPECTED BOKS LINEUP AGAINST WALLABIES

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi and 1 Ox Nché.

According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, the likes of Willie le Roux, Lukhanyo Am, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen and Bongi Mbonambi will form the spine of the team.

Springboks Libbok World Cup — Manie Libbok kicks at goal for the Springboks. Photo by Luca Sighinolfi/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix

Meanwhile, fully-fit Manie Libbok will reportedly start alongside Cobus Reinach at halfback, while Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie will be on the wings.

The Springboks will play three Tests in the abbreviated version of the Rugby Championship, starting with a clash against Australia, which takes place next weekend.

This will be followed by battles against New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland (Saturday 15 July) and Argentina at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg (Saturday 29 July).

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The team will then play three Rugby World Cup warm-up games – against Argentina in Buenos Aires (5 August), Wales in Cardiff (19 August) and New Zealand in London (25 August) before travelling to Corsica for a one-week camp en route to Toulon for their opening Rugby World Cup fixture against Scotland on Sunday 10 September.

SPRINGBOKS TRAINING SQUAD:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (Stade Francais), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92).

Hookers: Joseph Dweba (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks).

Locks: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks), Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers), RG Snyman (Munster), Jean Kleyn (Munster).

Loose Forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (Cell C Sharks), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Duane Vermeulen (Ulster), Jasper Wiese (Leicester).

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Utility Forwards: Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks), Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat).

Scrumhalves: Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks), Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks).

Flyhalves: Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), Elton Jantjies (Agen).

Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).

Outside Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulon), Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz), Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls).

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