The Springboks route to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France has been finalised, and it will see Jacques Nienaber’s men test themselves against New Zealand and Argentina twice.
A third meeting against the All Blacks could be on the cards during the World Cup knockout stages. Depending on how results swing in the Pool stages, the Boks and All Blacks could either meet in the quarter- or semifinal.
Should both teams get through the pool stages unbeaten, a mammoth semifinal will be on the cards. Should one lose a game, the two nations will have to slug it out in the quarterfinals. The Latter could become reality, as the All Blacks are in Pool A with hosts and favourites, France. Two wildcard nations join the Boks in Pool B – outside favourites Ireland and Scotland.
It all starts with the Rugby Championship
The Castle Lager Rugby Championship will kick off the Springboks’ final push toward France 2023. Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld will open the Boks account, where they will go up against Eddie Jones’ Wallabies on 8 July.
The following Saturday, the 15th, the Boks will go up against the All Blacks for the first time at a venue yet to be confirmed, though it will go down on New Zealand soil.
Two weeks later, on the 28th, the Castle Lager Rugby Championship will come to a close. Ellis Park will play host to the curtain closer, and it will be Argentina that will come up against the Springboks in a potential series decider.
The Warm-ups
There won’t be any time to celebrate a potentially successful Rugby Championship campaign, nor will there be time to lick wounds if it turns out to be the opposite, as the Boks will run head first into August with three Rugby World Cup warm-up matches.
The Springboks will jump on a plane and head to Argentina to face the Pumas on 5 August. The Boks will then take another long flight to Wales for a big clash with Warren Gatland’s men.
The last game for the Springboks before heading into the title-defending campaign in France will surely become an instant classic. It comes in the form of the second test of the year against the All Blacks – but on neutral ground. Twickenham will play host to this one, on Friday, 25 August.
The Springbok Title defence
The Springboks will start the Rugby World Cup campaign on 10 September, where they will come up against Scotland in Marseille. They will play the Second match in Bordeaux and will be the only “sure thing” in the pool stages, as they face minnows Romania.
Ireland will provide the biggest headache for Jacques Nienaber, as they meet on the 23rd in Paris. And on the 1st of October, the Boks will wrap up their Pool stage with a meeting against Tonga.
Springbok 2023 fixtures:
Castle Lager Rugby Championship:
Saturday, 8 July – Springboks vs Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 17 July – Springboks vs New Zealand (venue TBC)
Saturday, 29 July – Springboks vs Argentina (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
RWC warm-up fixtures:
Saturday, 5 August – Springboks v Argentina (venue TBC)
Saturday, 19 August – Springboks vs Wales (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
Friday, 25 August–SA vs New Zealand (Twickenham, London)
RWC pool fixtures:
Sunday, 10 September – Springboks v Scotland (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Sunday, 17 September – Springboks v Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)
Saturday, 23 September – Springboks v Ireland (Stade de France, Paris)
Sunday, 1 October – Springboks v Tonga (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Weekend of 14/15 October – Quarter-finals
Weekend of 21/22 October – Semi-finals
Saturday, 28 October – Final
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