Mzwandile Stick is pleased with the preparations during the pre-tour training camp in Jersey, as the Springboks hone in on their opener against Scotland.
The Boks have three Tests lined up next month, against Scotland, England, and Wales. They completed their first training block of the week on Wednesday afternoon – which comprised four training sessions over two days – and will have a rest day on Thursday before resuming their on-field preparations on Friday.
The squad will then travel from Jersey to Edinburgh on Sunday for their opening Test against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday 10 November, before moving on to London to face England on Saturday 16 November, before wrapping up the Outgoing Tour against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday 23 November.
Bok assistant coach Stick expects a challenging series, but he said their focus at this stage was solely on the clash against Scotland.
“I think we’d be stupid to look too far ahead, so our main focus at the moment is on Scotland,” said Stick.
“If you look at the Six Nations competition earlier this year, Scotland put in some great performances. They won against England and Wales, and it was close until late in the game against Ireland, so they’re a tough team to beat.
“They’ll also have a good crowd behind them, and they have quality players, so if we allow them to perform, they can punish us.
“They’re in a good space as a team, and there’s consistency in their coaching staff, so it’s going to be a tough match.”
Stick said the weather conditions in Jersey – from pouring rain to sunshine – have also been good for the team to acclimatise to the UK conditions.
“I don’t think it (the conditions) will been difficult, especially if one considers that the majority of the players have played in the Vodacom URC here in the UK already,” said Stick.
“That said, the nice thing is that it was a little wet at our first training session, and the chances are good that we might have one or two wet games in the series, so fortunately the players will be well conditioned to handle that.”
Photo: EPA/SEBASTIEN NOGIER
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