
Springboks are not less prepared than Australia after Italy, Georgia Tests — Rassie
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has defended the preparedness of his charges ahead of the Rugby Championship despite facing weaker opposition than Australia in the build-up.
The Springboks play their first two matches of the tournament against the Wallabies, first in Joburg on 16 August and then in Cape Town on 23 August.
Speaking to the media during their two-week training camp in Johannesburg, Erasmus said the camp had been extended due to concerns among the coaches. They felt players weren't getting focused training before and during their season openers.
He said cutting the squad from his initial 55 at the beginning of the season down to 37 will allow the coaches to give players more one-on-one attention.

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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The latter has been nominated again for both the SA Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year award along with Bavuma. Rabada has been equally sensational with the ball. The big fast bowler snaring 36 wickets at 29.78 and in the process became the fifth South African bowler to join the 300-wicket club in Tests. 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