Johannesburg – A Springbok training squad for a Durban camp from May 25 to 28 will be named after the 14th round of Super Rugby as the national team kicks off their preparations for the Incoming Series in June.
The Springboks will be in action for the first time in 2014 when they take on the World XV at Newlands in Cape Town on June 7.
This match, against a star-studded invitational side coached by former Springbok mentor Nick Mallett, will provide Heyneke Meyer with a perfect opportunity to get his team ready for the rest of the Test season.
The Springboks are in action four times in June Ä after their match against the World XV follows Tests against Wales at Kings Park in Durban and at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
They will close the June international window with a Test against Scotland at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth at the end of the month.
Apart from a comprehensive planning camp held in February, the Springbok coaching team recently had a coaches camp, where they worked on all detail relating to training for the season.
Breakdown consultant Richie Gray, who was influential in the step-up the Springboks made in this area of play last year, had been re-appointed in the same position for this season and 2015.
“Everyone on the management have been very hard at work in ensuring things go as smoothly as possible, especially behind the scenes, both in South Africa and abroad,” Meyer said.
“The assistant coaches and coaching consultants have also been around the country continuously where they worked with the franchises and provincial unions, who have been very accommodating to us.
“The synergy we have with the provinces is a massive positive in South African rugby at the moment.”
Meyer said this would hold them in good stead going into the season as they needed to step up a gear in the year before the 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup in England.
“We have set certain goals for 2014 after enjoying a relatively successful 2013.
“It's our third year together as a team and those have generally been the most challenging seasons for any team looking back at the last decade or so.
“We all know need to make a further step-up from the get go.”
The Springbok training squad for the Durban camp will be named in the week of May 19, while the squad for the Incoming Series will be announced on May 31.
The final squad of 36 players will get together in Cape Town on June 1 to start the serious preparations for the series. – Sapa