It’s crazy to think that it is now a full two years since the Springboks last played the All Blacks, their fiercest rivals, and even longer – 26 months – since they last clashed with the Wallabies, but such has been the disruptive impact of the pandemic on their plans that these rivalries will only be renewed in the coming weeks in Australia when the remainder of the 2021 Rugby Championship is played. All blacks Pumas Rugby Game
The Springboks spurned an invitation to take part in last year’s Australian-hosted Rugby Championship, claiming their players were not sufficiently conditioned at that time to participate as they had not played enough rugby for their South African clubs following the pandemic-forced stoppage of the 2020 calendar.
However, with the Springboks now back up and running with six recent Test matches under its belt on the back of their home-based players playing a sufficient chunk of rugby for their franchise teams, South Africa feel they are ready for the challenge of taking part in this year’s Rugby Championship.
With Argentina having taken on both Australia and New Zealand in the revised 2020 Championship, they have more recent experience than the Springboks in playing these teams.
However, despite the burgeoning recent friendship between the Springboks and the Pumas being strengthened by their shared charter flight from Cape Town to Queensland and the sharing of the same quarantined hotel facility in Australia, Jacques Nienaber isn’t tempted to ask the Pumas for their inside track on the Wallabies and the All Blacks. Watch ARG NZ Rugby online
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