Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says the short turnaround time between the United Rugby Championship final and the match against the Barbarians on 28 June means Bulls players won’t feature in the historic match.

The Bulls will face Leinster at Croke Park in the Grand Final on Saturday, 14 June. During a press conference on Thursday, the double World Cup-winning coach explained that the Bulls players won’t be able to get in adequate training with the Bok group after returning from Dublin.

The match against the BaaBaas will mark the first time the Boks face them on South African soil.

Erasmus expecting ‘no shackles’ against Barbarians as Bulls miss out

South Africa have faced the invitational side on eight ocassions, with the Barbarians emerging victorious in four of those meetings. The Springboks have claimed three wins, while their last clash in 2016 ended in a draw.

Erasmus also explained that the unpredictable nature of the Barbarians leaves them with no choice but to focus on their own structures and processes as they prepare for the much-anticipated fixture.

When asked what he’s expecting from their first opposition in 2025, he said: “The Barbarians is a set-up where the shackless are off, it’s about playing entertaining rugby and not worry about the consequences. The only pressure for them is to play without pressure. There is not a lot of analysis we can do on them, so we will focus on ourselves.

Bok team will be a mix

Erasmus went on to explain that he wants to ensure his group draw solid experience from the clash.

“I don’t think there will be a lot of Bulls players in that game because they will only arrive on Tuesday. So, some of them will get in one training session with us and then it’s Barbarians week,” he said.

“It is not a Test match, but we also have to make sure the team is good enough. We want to get some of the guys in who haven’t played for the Springboks, but we also don’t want to get a pakslae.”

“It will serve as a good opportunity for the players who have returned from Japan to get back into the swing of things, and perhaps to give a few players who have not played Test rugby a feel of what it is to play at this level.”

Injury situation confirmed

Erasmus confirmed that Trevor Nyakane, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Elrigh Louw, and Cameron Hanekom are all nursing long-term injuries. Gerhard Steenekamp, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ben-Jason Dixon, Juarno Augustus, and Lukhanyo Am have to be cleared medically before they will be available for selection.

On a positive note, Jasper Wiese, Grant Williams, and Makazole Mapimpi, who are also nursing injuries, are expected to return to action in the next few weeks.

With the first week of the training camp conclusing on Friday, the players will reassemble in Johannesburg for the second week of preparation on Sunday before departing to Cape Town to fine tune their preparations for the Barbarians clash.

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Src: TheSouthAfrican.com - https://rugga.co.za/springboks/bulls-unlikely-to-feature-against-barbarians-says-rassie/