Leading Springbok to return just in time for World Cup

The Springbok squad assembled in Pretoria on Wednesday evening to resume their preparations for their final Rugby Championship match against Argentina on 29 July, with coach Jacques Nienaber retaining the same extended group of players for the camp.

Notably, Ox Nche is back with the squad after suffering a pectoral muscle injury on the eve of the opening Test of 2023, but it was revealed on Thursday that he is still four to five weeks away from a return to play.

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If all goes well, Nche could return for perhaps the final World Cup warm-up game against New Zealand on 25 August, but should be cleared well in time to be selected for the RWC squad.

Nche’s presence in France will be warmly welcome, although it is a pity that he will have missed the majority of the games leading up to the tournament.

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2023 FIXTURES:

Rugby Championship:
Saturday, 15 July – Springboks vs New Zealand (Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland)
Saturday, 29 July – Springboks vs Argentina (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)

RWC warm-up fixtures:
Saturday, 5 August – Springboks v Argentina (Buenos Aires)
Saturday, 19 August – Springboks vs Wales (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
Friday, 25 August – Springboks vs New Zealand (Twickenham, London)

RWC fixtures:
Sunday, 10 September – Boks v Scotland (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Sunday, 17 September – Boks v Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)
Saturday, 23 September – Boks v Ireland (Stade de France, Paris)
Sunday, 1 October – Boks v Tonga (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)

Weekend of 14/15 October – Quarter-finals
Weekend of 21/22 October – Semi-finals
Saturday, 28 October – Final

Meanwhile, the current group of Springboks also includes scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, who was given time off following a family bereavement, and his return to the squad is the clearest indication that he will be involved against Argentina.

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Hendrikse last played as a substitute for the Springboks in the final Test of 2022 – in what was his 10th Bok appearance of the year – but he has been out of action since early April after suffering a serious shoulder injury while in action for the Sharks.

It’s understood that the 23-year-old is now set for a return to matchday action as the Springboks look to give him some game-time before the World Cup, although it remains to be seen whether he starts or comes off the bench, the latter being most likely.

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THE SPRINGBOK SIDE WILL BE LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER THE LATEST LOSS TO THE ALL BLACKS

Coach Jacques Nienaber said that managing player load in the run-up to the departure for France remained a key focus.

“One of the boxes we ticked in the last two weeks was to work on our player load. Getting that balance right is going to be vital so that we can peak at the right time this season.

“We have a sizeable squad, and we need to ensure that we give as many players as possible the chance to stake a claim for places in the World Cup squad, while at the same time getting the desired results so that we can build momentum going into the World Cup.”

Nienaber added: “We have four matches left before the international showpiece and we are still in the race for the Rugby Championship title so we intend getting down to business immediately and making the most of the time we have on and off the training field to get the squad where we would like them to be mentally and physically.”

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