Rassie confirms when Pollard will return for Springboks
· The South African
Earlier this season, Handre Pollard was poised to start the second Test against the All Blacks after Rassie Erasmus had announced his team selection for the crucial clash in Cape Town.
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However, Pollard unfortunately pulled up with a calf strain in training, ruling him out of contention for the remainder of the series.
The 32-year-old has only featured in seven Tests over the last two years, but he is still viewed as an important member of the Springbok squad based on his experience, leadership and renowned goal-kicking.
This week, Erasmus confirmed that Pollard has now recovered from his injury, and that he will face the Wallabies in a one-off Test in Perth on Saturday, 26 September.
Similarly, Franco Mostert – who suffered an injury in the season-opener against the Barbarians – is also expected to return for the clash against Australia when Erasmus is expected to name a largely new-look team.
First things first
Although the Springboks do have several games still to come this season, the entire focus of the team is on this Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks in Baltimore.
With many of the players in the Bok squad having won the Rugby World Cup and British & Irish Lions series, Jasper Wiese said if they were to lift the RGR trophy on Saturday, it would be another memorable occasion for the side.
The Springboks are currently leading the series two-one, meaning a victory or draw this weekend would clinch the title, but if the All Blacks win, the trophy would be shared.
“For this group, it would be something amazing to achieve – we’re taking this series just as seriously as we did the others,” said Wiese.
“The last time they toured in South Africa was in 1996, and the All Blacks won that one, so for this group to achieve a win would be something special.”
All to play for
The Springboks had their first field training session on Tuesday after a series of boardroom sessions on Monday to recover from last Saturday’s match and the long journey to Baltimore, and will continue their on-field preparations on Wednesday.
The match kicks off at 23:00 SA time and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
“We’ve only been here since Sunday afternoon, so we haven’t spent a lot of time outside the hotel, but it’s obviously an amazing experience,” said Wiese.
“It’s my first time here. Some people have recognised a few guys, but me not as much. But hopefully we can give the people here a good showcase this weekend and give them a taste of what rugby is about.
“The sport is obviously not as big here as it is in New Zealand or South Africa, but for the fans who are there this weekend, they’re going to see some great rugby from both teams who just want to go out there and give it their best.”