A group of 12 Springboks have been invited to a four-day training, assessment and conditioning camp, from October 23-26 in Cape Town.
Current Springbok squad members who are playing for their provinces in the Currie Cup playoffs, as well as those who are playing for clubs in England and Japan, were not considered for the camp.
The purpose of the camp is to give Springbok management first-hand opportunity to assess the medical, conditioning and fitness status of the selected group as the Springboks step up their preparations for the end-of-year-tour.
South Africa’s opponents during their month-long European tour are Ireland (November 11, Dublin), France (November 18, Paris), Italy (November 25, Padova) and Wales (December 2, Cardiff).
The small group will work under the supervision of the Springbok medical and conditioning team, while the coaches will also put them through their paces with skills training and tactical planning sessions.
Springbok coach Allister Coetzee said the camp forms an important part of their preparation for the end of year tour.
“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,” said Coetzee.
“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 during the end of the year tour.”
The Springbok squad for the end of year tour will be announced on Sunday, October 29 - the day after the Currie Cup final - and the squad will assemble in Johannesburg on Monday, October 30.
T
he following players will attend a four-day training, assessment and conditioning camp in Cape Town:
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 (flyhalf, Blue Bulls)
Damian de Allende (centre, Western Province)
Jesse Kriel (centre, Blue Bulls)
The above results in some really interesting observations:-
* Malherbe is in training - but the doctors advised him not to play rugby before Super Rugby next year,
* It is clear that Mitchell is not interested in playing players he has not coached and that he is not interested in Paige and Kriel. I suspect that Coetzee discussed the issue wiith Mitchell and that the latter said - no thank you about selecting the Bulls players. Pollard was injured and cannot play this weekend - but beaing in mind the stiruation when Pollard was released to play CC Rugby with the Bulls, it is clear that Mitchell has no interest in the players he has not coached. The only sirpise is the situation as to Lood de Jager - the Bulls are thin in the lcokks department.
* A Louw-Kitshoff prop combination would have been deadly for WP - but that is not to be. WP does have two competent locks - Schickerling in particular was very good - so I am not surprised at the Etzebeth - Du Toit scenario.
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