The Springboks arrived in Australia on Wednesday morning local time, having flown from Baltimore to Dallas before connecting through to Sydney, and are now based in Terrigal on the New South Wales Central Coast ahead of their one-off Test against the Wallabies at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday 27 September.
The tour to Australia follows the Boks' series victory over the All Blacks in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry and comes off the back of a demanding schedule that also included the Tests against Argentina. Erasmus acknowledged the cumulative toll but said the squad had planned around it.
"We always knew how tough the matches against Argentina and in RGR against the All Blacks would be, and we factored that into our preparation," said Erasmus. "Both Argentina and the All Blacks tested us thoroughly, and we have no doubt that we will be facing a determined Wallabies side that will want to put on a good show in front of their home crowd."
Erasmus added that the Perth clash would present a different challenge to anything the Boks have faced in the past few weeks and that a full 80-minute performance would be required.
With training only set to begin on Friday, player recovery is the immediate priority. Andy Edwards, the Boks' Head of Athletic Performance, and the logistics team have been central to managing the squad through the gruelling travel schedule, something Erasmus was keen to acknowledge.
"They deserve a lot of credit for the smooth travel and the way they ensured that we make everything as simple as possible for the players to perform well," he said.
The Perth match carries additional significance as preparation for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which Australia will host — the Boks are scheduled to face Romania at the same Optus Stadium venue on 22 October 2027. The squad will return to South Africa after the Test for a short break before the away leg of the Nations Championship.