The Boks’ tough northern hemisphere schedule is also an opportunity to lay down a marker with a view to Rugby World Cup 2023.
Optimists will view the Springboks’ four-Test tour to Europe as a golden opportunity. If the Boks play to their physical and tactical potential – and have some luck with injuries – they will beat Ireland, France, Italy and England, and finish the season at the top of the World Rugby rankings for the fourth consecutive year.
The coming Tests will provide more answers regarding the hierarchy of Test rugby, and who deserves to be recognised as the form team a year out from the 2023 World Cup. Ireland and France will be favourites when they host the Boks, and the conditions in Dublin and Paris will provide them with a further advantage.The Boks haven’t won a Test in Dublin since 2012. The weather in Ireland has been particularly bad in recent weeks, and the Bok coaches and players are expecting wet and torrential conditions at the Aviva Stadium on 5 November.