He BELIEVES that competition within the team will help the Bobokhokos reach the key games of the Nations Championship at the highest level by the captain, Siya Kolisi.
The Springboks opened the season with a friendly against the Barbarians which they won 80-31 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha, on Saturday.
On Sunday, coach Rassie Erasmus announced a squad of 46 players that he will use in the three Nations Championship matches against England, Scotland and Wales.
This is the seasoned players who played a major role when the Bobokhoko won the World Cup in Japan in 2019 and in France in 2023.
As usual, young players who have started to prove themselves to the coaches have also been included, including those from the youth team that won the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Italy last year.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kolisi (35) said that the increase in players who are ready to play at the international level means that no player can be complacent in the Springboks as there is a little more than a year left to the World Cup which will start in October next year in Australia.
“I think this competition will help the team a lot. It means a lot to be included in the squad. Some players may lower their level of determination if they think there is no one who can take their place, but this is not the case in our team. There are many players of the same level,” said Kolisi.
“We all compete against each other but we also help each other. The thing we prioritized is the development of the team. If another player is given an opportunity, it is your job to motivate him. When you get an opportunity, you already know what level is required.
“It’s amazing to see players from a small team who have been training with a big team for some time. The way they played showed that they are ready to lift the team when called upon. That’s why we cooperate so much because we know what we intend for the future of the team. Some will still get injured, so we know that the coach can call anyone.”
The Springboks will open the Nations Championship against England at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Saturday. After that, they will face Scotland at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria on July 18 and Wales at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban on July 18.
They will begin a four-match series known as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry with New Zealand on August 22.