Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks ticked most of their preparation boxes after wrapping up their first week of training in Johannesburg on Friday ahead of the June 20 fixture against the Barbarians in Gqeberha.
The squad disperses for the weekend before reassembling in Johannesburg on Sunday night. They continue training there until Wednesday before travelling to Gqeberha, where the two squads — Springboks and the SA 'A' side that faces Zimbabwe on the same day — will conduct separate captains' runs the Friday before the matches.
"It was great to be back in camp this week and for the coaches to work with the players first-hand on and off the field," Erasmus said. "We will go into more detail next week, but 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 also highlighted the contribution of Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote and SA Rugby High-Performance GM Dave Wessels in preparing the younger players for senior camp exposure, crediting their communication and cooperation in facilitating the crossover.