Boks focused on winning Rugby Championship as Australia loom

CAPE TOWN, July 3 (Reuters) – South Africa are totally targeted on profitable this 12 months’s Rugby Championship forward of their World Cup defence in France, Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen mentioned on Monday as they put together to face Australia of their event opener in Pretoria on Saturday.

The Boks are to make use of a break up squad tactic this 12 months and can ship various first-team gamers to New Zealand this week to acclimatise forward of their second Rugby Championship fixture in opposition to the All Blacks in Auckland on July 15.

It was a tactic they employed efficiently in 2019 once they gained each the Rugby Championship and World Cup in Japan.

It means they may discipline gamers from their wider squad for the Australia recreation, however Esterhuizen says this could by no means be construed because the Boks taking the sport, or the competitors, evenly.

“This collection (Rugby Championship) is a stepping stone for us to begin shifting in the fitting route. Now we have to get issues proper now earlier than the tip aim (the World Cup),” he instructed reporters on Monday.

“Now we have had open communication all through between the coaches and the gamers. It has been a great three weeks (of coaching) collectively and we’re all on the identical web page. We all know what the aim is for the subsequent 4 weeks. Everyone seems to be comfortable and is aware of the place they stand.

Australia will play their first recreation below returning coach Eddie Jones having not gained in six earlier conferences with the Boks at Loftus Versfeld.

“I believe the Aussies all the time come to South Africa making an attempt to make a press release,” Esterhuizen mentioned. “So we are able to anticipate a tough and good match, particularly with Eddie taking the reins once more.”

“They are going to have just a few issues up their sleeves, and they’ll include plenty of motivation as a result of he (Jones) is aware of the best way to get a workforce fired up for a recreation.”

Reporting by Nick Mentioned, enhancing by Ed Osmond

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