Springbok coach satisfied with Stellenbosch camp
Springbok coach, Allister Coetzee, said he is happy with the outcome of the rehabilitation and conditioning camp which finished on Thursday in Stellenbosch.
A group of 19 selected players attended the four-day camp, which started on Monday at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport.
The purpose of the camp was to ascertain first-hand the condition of players returning from injury, those currently undergoing rehabilitation and those players who are struggling with niggles at the moment after a demanding Vodacom Super Rugby campaign.
Coetzee will announce a 31-man Springbok squad on Saturday after the final of the Vodacom Super Rugby campaign, where the Emirates Lions will meet the Hurricanes in Wellington.
According to the Bok coach, the four-day get together in Stellenbosch gave his management a great opportunity to work through some important medical, conditioning and technical planning with the players.
“The reality is that we will play against Argentina in two weeks’ time, and only 13 players of this group in Stellenbosch could participate in on-field fundamentals and conditioning sessions,” said Coetzee.
“However, it was all-important for us to use this time together because some of those players last played in the Test series in June or during the Vodacom Super Rugby round-robin matches.
“The physical readiness of the players are paramount in terms of our overall planning. We have to find a balance between maintaining and also improving the conditioning of the players, and this week’s activation was crucial for our preparations.”
The Bok training squad, excluding overseas-based players and the Emirates Lions contingent, will assemble on Sunday afternoon in Johannesburg. The group will spend the week training on the Highveld before moving camp on 14 August to Nelspruit, where the first Castle Lager Rugby Championship meeting against Argentina will take place on 20 August.
The following players attended the four-day rehabilitation and conditioning camp in Stellenbosch: Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), Lood de Jager (Toyota Cheetahs), Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (DHL Stormers / Steval Pumas), Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls), Pat Lambie (Cell C Sharks), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), Oupa Mohoje (Toyota Cheetahs), Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), Lwazi Mvovo (Cell C Sharks), Sikhumbuzo Notshe (DHL Stormers), Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls), Coenie Oosthuizen (Cell C Sharks), Rudy Paige (Vodacom Bulls), Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Bulls) and Adriaan Strauss (Vodacom Bulls).
