The Springboks are expected to start the season without the services of a leading forward who has again picked up an injury.
In just a few weeks, the Springboks will be back in action with a season-opening Test against Wales at Twickenham. This will be followed by a two-Test series against Ireland and a one-off game against Portugal prior to the Rugby Championship.
Unfortunately, there are injury clouds hanging over several key players, which will require the national coaches to Cast a somewhat wider net for selection.
One ongoing worry is Lood de Jager, the World Cup winner for 2019. He just had a knee injury during the Japan League One final.
De Jager, who had just returned to play, is likely to miss the majority of the upcoming season, which is a further setback for the 31-year-old.
The tall lock’s shocking exclusion from the 2023 World Cup team was later explained by the fact that he had pericarditis, a heart ailment that can occur from playing while unwell.
LOOD DE JAGER WAS EXPECTED TO PLAY A FRONTLINE WORLD CUP ROLE FOR THE SPRINGBOK SIDE
De Jager had to have meaningful rest during this period, and was initially not allowed to even walk at full pace, but he eventually got the all clear from a heart specialist to start playing rugby again earlier this year.
“I will have to build up my fitness again after not being allowed to do anything for more than three months,” he stated in November.
He successfully made a return to action for Japanese club Wild Knights, but he has now suffered another unfortunate setback.
THE SPRINGBOKS WILL BE WITHOUT ANOTHER WORLD CUP WINNER
Jasper Wiese dealt another blow last month when he was given a six-match suspension for a foul play that occurred during his final English Premiership appearance for the Leicester Tigers before he leaves the team to play for the Bulls. He will miss the Springboks’ next mid-year Test matches against Wales, Ireland (two), and Portugal, as well as South Africa’s first two Rugby Championship matches against the Wallabies in Australia. The Springboks will also play their opening Test match against Wales. Here is a look at the complete 13 confirmed fixtures.
2024 FIXTURES:
Saturday, 22 June: SA vs Wales (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 6 July: SA vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs Portugal (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA v New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 21 September: Argentina v SA (Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago)
Saturday, 28 September: SA v Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
Sunday, 10 November: Scotland vs SA (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
Saturday, 16 November: England vs SA (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 23 November: Wales vs SA (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
The Springboks’ jampacked 2024 schedule will conclude with an enthralling tour in November, and coach Rassie Erasmus said it would be an exciting way to end the season.
“As a team we want to measure ourselves against the top sides in the world consistently, and facing Scotland, Wales, and England on the year-end tour, two of which we faced in the World Cup, will be fantastic for the team and the players.
Wales’ Six Nations season may have been disappointing, as Scotland won two of their five games and England won three, but we still know that we must play at our best when we play them because they are a formidable opponent at home.
The season ahead will be difficult, according to Erasmus, who also mentioned that there will be home Test series against Ireland in the Incoming Series and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship, a Test against Portugal, and two matches against Australia and Argentina, respectively.
“We are really excited for the season, and we know that playing Scotland, England, and Wales at the end of the year will certainly spice things up for the team.”
