Springboks Face All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Opener

Pretoria: The Springboks will face New Zealand's All Blacks in the opening Test of the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday. According to South African Government News Agency, coach Rassie Erasmus said the squad selected to face the All Blacks is well balanced, combining players who remained in South Africa to prepare for the series with others who featured against Argentina. Erasmus highlighted that the All Blacks are a quality team, and the Springboks have selected combinations they believe are best suited for the challenge this weekend. It was beneficial to have some players return from injury last week and get back into top-flight Test rugby. Meanwhile, some players who had a heavy workload in the Nations Championship had ample time to recover from the physical demands. He further mentioned that the entire group had been together for more than a week and was aligned on the way the team wants to play this weekend. Erasmus emphasized prep aring for an 80-minute contest, acknowledging the All Blacks' well-rounded squad with physical forwards and an exciting backline, which necessitates sharp and accurate execution from the start.