Central Coast Springboks: champs, Fiji lock in Test

Murray Wenzel |

Rassie Erasmus has picked the NSW central coast as South Africa’s base for next year’s World Cup.
Rassie Erasmus has picked the NSW central coast as South Africa’s base for next year’s World Cup.

South Africa’s Rugby World Cup title defence will be based on the NSW Central Coast, where the team has enjoyed some early acclimatising ahead of this month’s Wallabies clash.

And the Springboks, fresh off a series victory over New Zealand, have confirmed a pre-Cup clash with Fiji – the teams’ first since the 2011 showpiece – as their final Test before the tournament begins next October.

Rassie Erasmus’s side flew straight from the USA to NSW after securing the All Blacks series in Baltimore, landing on Wednesday ahead of their September 27 Test in Perth against Australia.

On Friday, they locked in a date with Fiji at Gosford’s polytec Stadium on September 18 next year.

“Fiji are a quality team who have consistently tested some of the top teams in the world over the last few years,” Erasmus said of the 2023 World Cup quarter-finalists.

Fiji
The world champion-Springboks will meet Fiji in their final match before next year’s title defence. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

“It’s certainly going to be a great test for our team before the international spectacle in Australia.

“They are one of the top 10 ranked teams in the world and they are a physical and talented side who will undoubtedly want to take full advantage of the match, similarly to us, before the Rugby World Cup kicks off.”

The world No.1 Springboks will be the biggest test of new coach Les Kiss’s Wallabies tenure, with the mentor overseeing a 2-0 series win over Japan before a win and a draw on their tour of Argentina.

The one-off match will be followed by Bledisloe Cup Tests against the All Blacks in Auckland and Sydney. 

AAP