The Springboks are currently busy with a training camp in Jersey ahead of their move to the United Kingdom next week but they will feel the buildup to the real business of their tour starts in earnest this weekend as both their initial opponents go into action.
England, who undeniably present the world champions with their biggest challenge of their three match November tour, will give a good indication of what changes and potential growth areas are in the offing since last season’s Six Nations and their July tour of New Zealand when they play their third match of the year against the All Blacks on Saturday at the Allianz Stadium .
It was the swing in the Bok favour in the scrumming battle towards the end of last year’s semifinal in Paris that prevented England from making a second successive RWC final, so it is understandable there’s been plenty of media focus towards the scrum in the buildup to Saturday’s game, which kicks off at 17.10 SA time.
“I never played the Sharks game so I wasn’t out there and didn’t experience the Bok players but I know many of them quite well after playing against them a couple of times,” said Jones. The reason there are only URC players playing for Scotland against Fiji is because like the game at Twickenham, this one falls outside of the international window. So what the Boks won’t get to see is the impact of Scotland’s first choice flyhalf Finn Russell, who is unavailable because he plays for English club Bath, on their game.
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