Springboks arrive in Australia as Rassie turns focus to Wallabies Test

The Springboks have touched down in Australia after a demanding United States leg, with coach Rassie Erasmus already warning that the Wallabies will present a “completely different challenge” in Perth.

The Boks arrived on Wednesday morning local time following their series victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, presented by the Castle Double Malt.

They will now turn their attention to their one-off Test against Australia at Optus Stadium on Sunday, 27 September.

It will be the first meeting between the Springboks and Wallabies this year.

Springboks begin preparations for Wallabies

The squad travelled from Baltimore to Dallas on Monday before connecting to Sydney and making its way to Terrigal, north of Sydney, where preparations for the Test will begin.

After facing Argentina and the All Blacks in their recent Tests, Erasmus expects another demanding encounter against the Wallabies.

“We always knew how tough the matches against Argentina and in RGR against the All Blacks would be, and we factored that into our preparation,” Erasmus via the SA Rugby website.

“Both Argentina and the All Blacks tested us thoroughly, and we have no doubt that we will be facing a determined Wallabies side that will want to put on a good show in front of their home crowd, and they will present a completely different challenge to that which we have faced in the last few Test matches.

“The Wallabies have been playing well, and we have no doubt they will come out firing in this match, which will require another full 80-minute performance from us to get the desired result next weekend.”

Player management crucial after demanding travel schedule

The Springboks head into the Australian leg with three tough Tests and extensive travel behind them.

Managing the players will therefore form an important part of the preparations.

“The players had a day off in Baltimore on Sunday before we embarked on the journey to Australia, and we obviously factored the impact the last three matches and the travel would have on the players in our planning.”

Erasmus also credited the team’s performance and logistics staff with helping the squad manage the demanding schedule.

“They deserve a lot of credit for the smooth travel and the way they ensured that we make everything as simple as possible for the players to perform well, and we will continue to do everything we can next week to make our country proud and finish the tour well.”

Perth Test offers early taste of 2027 World Cup

The Wallabies clash also gives the Springboks another opportunity to play in Australia ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Australia will host the tournament, with the Boks scheduled to return to Perth for their third World Cup pool match against Romania on Friday, 22 October 2027.

For now, however, Erasmus and his squad have one objective: finish their current tour strongly against a Wallabies side preparing to face the world champions on home soil.

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