Leighton Koopman
The newly-appointed Springbok assistants Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, along with national laws advisor Jaco Peyper, got stuck into planning sessions yesterday with the rest of the management of the world champions.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus and his assistants were preparing for the alignment camp that kicked off last night with 43 players invited. They will get stuck in boardroom sessions until Thursday, ahead of a daunting international season.
“It was fantastic to have the coaches and Jaco in the same room and to share our ideas with an eye on the 2024 season,” Erasmus said yesterday.
“We’ve had several online meetings in the last few months, but the human element is always great. This camp allowed everyone to get to know one another in a personal and professional manner.”
According to Erasmus, they were pleased with the foundation they laid before kicking off with the player sessions. He added that there was lots of enthusiasm among the coaches to get the season under way.
“Tony, Jerry, and Jaco leaped straight into the swing of things, and it’s fantastic to see how they bonded with the rest of the coaching team who have been in the system for the last few years, so we are looking forward to this new chapter for Springbok rugby.
“As a coaching team, we have a good idea of what we’d like to do this season, and we are excited to present our key pillars to this group of players.
“This is a solid group of players, and these camps will be invaluable in putting the groundwork in place – not only for this season but also to set the tone for where we’d like to take our game going forward.”
This is the first of three camps the Boks will have as they prepare to face Wales, Ireland, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina over the next few months.
The matches against Ireland and the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship will be the toughest for the world champions, and putting a good foot forward in the first season after claiming the World Cup will be vital.
“The sport is progressing rapidly, and we must grow as a team to remain at the forefront of where rugby is moving. We made it clear last year that what we did in 2019 would not be enough to defend our title at the 2023 World Cup, and the same concept applies after last year’s international spectacle.”