Rassie Erasmus has expressed satisfaction with the work done during the Springboks' opening camp week in Johannesburg, with the squad completing their final on-field session on Friday before dispersing for the weekend.
The players reassemble in Johannesburg on Sunday night and will continue preparations through to Wednesday, when the squad travels to Gqeberha ahead of the double-header at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on 20 June — the Springboks against the Barbarians and SA 'A' against Zimbabwe.
"We ticked most of the boxes we had hoped to over the last few days, and we are looking forward to getting into match mode from next week," Erasmus said.
He highlighted the integration of younger players into the camp environment as a positive, crediting Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote and SA Rugby High-Performance GM Dave Wessels for their development work and cooperation. The squad splits into two groups for separate captains' runs the Friday before match day.
"Both the experienced and young players got back into the swing of things," Erasmus added, noting the enthusiasm shown in learning from the coaching staff.