Rassie Erasmus won’t travel with Springboks

After the Springboks claimed a narrow win over Argentina on Saturday, a 26-man squad jetted off to Buenos Aires for a rematch that will serve as the first of three World Cup warm-up games. SA Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus will stay behind to train the remaining players.

After this weekend, the Springboks will face Wales in Cardiff (Saturday, 19 August) and New Zealand at Twickenham (Friday, 25 August) in their final warm-up matches before travelling to Corsica for a one-week training camp en route to France for the Rugby World Cup.

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Coach Jacques Nienaber said the players who will not travel to Argentina will remain in Johannesburg where they will train under the watchful eye of Rassie Erasmus and a small group of team management members.

The other coaches will accompany the travelling squad to Argentina.

“We are naming the Rugby World Cup squad in a little over a week and it is important that we have a coach that can work on rugby detail with the players remaining in South Africa and who can keep a close eye on the progress the injured players are making,” said Nienaber. “Hence, we decided it would be best for Rassie to work with them.

“Obviously he’ll still assist the team abroad virtually, and vice-versa to ensure that the players here have all the necessary game and conditioning detail they need to tick the boxes we’d like to do with them before we travel to Cardiff for our next warm-up game.”

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SPRINGBOKS PLAYERS REMAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA TO TRAIN WITH RASSIE:

Forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (loose forward), Eben Etzebeth (lock), Siya Kolisi (loose forward), Frans Malherbe (prop), Malcolm Marx (hooker), Ox Nche (prop), Kwagga Smith (loose forward), RG Snyman (lock), Marco van Staden (loose forward), Duane Vermeulen (No 8).

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Backs: Damian de Allende (centre), Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Cheslin Kolbe (wing), Willie le Roux (fullback), Handre Pollard (flyhalf), Grant Williams (scrumhalf).

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