The Springboks are in a “better position” ahead of the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France than they were in Japan four years ago.
That was the word from Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick ahead of the defending world champions’ opening World Cup encounter against Scotland in Marseille on September 10.
South Africa are currently in Corsica where they are having a training camp until Friday, before they head to their base for the tournament in Toulon on Saturday.
On-field conditions in Corsica good for the Boks
Stick believes the on-field conditions on the Mediterranean island will stand the Boks in good stead during their World Cup campaign.
“The conditions have been challenging for the boys – the first day was very humid and hot, so it was good for the players,” he told the Springboks’ official website.
“This is similar to the conditioning week we had in Kagoshima in 2019, and the camp makes a lot of sense especially after playing against the All Blacks in London. It meant that we didn’t have to travel back to South Africa.
“As coaches we could also push the buttons a little from the conditioning side, so it’s been a great week for us to prepare for the World Cup.”
The Boks were crowned world champions for the third time when they beat England in the final in 2019 and Stick is adamant the 2023 squad are better prepared than four years ago.
“I think we are in a better position now to where we were in 2019,” he said. “Back then we only had 18 months to prepare, and we pulled off a miracle by winning the World Cup, and that was all through belief.
“If one looks at what we have invested in our squad and the depth we’ve managed to build going into this tournament, it’s fantastic.
“That said, what we did in the past counts for nothing if we don’t pitch up and perform week in and week out in the World Cup.”
Stick revealed that the squad are in a good space mentally and physically ahead of their tournament opener against Scotland.
“The excitement is there, but at the same time it’s one of the biggest tournaments in the world, so there are nerves as well,” he said.
“But in terms of where we are now, we’ve grown as a team and we are getting tighter, especially after the defeat against the All Blacks in Auckland.
Lessons learned from All Blacks loss
“We learned a lot more in that match that match than from the games we won. It certainly brought us closer together, and we feel we are moving in the right direction.
“That said we know it’s going to be a tough tournament, but we’ll do everything in our power to make the country proud.”
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