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The Springboks are embarking on their five-week trip to Europe with hope and resolve, as head coach Rassie Erasmus, along with a limited number of players and staff, traveled to London on Sunday in preparation for the first Test match against Japan next weekend.

The group is gathering in groups, with the entire team set to meet in the UK by Monday morning. The Springboks will have a challenging schedule of five Test matches across five straight weekends, beginning with Japan at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 1 November. The upcoming games include France at Stade de France in Paris (8 November), Italy at Allianz Stadium in Turin (15 November), Ireland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin (22 November), and Wales at Principality Stadium in Cardiff (29 November). All games will be shown live on SuperSport.

Erasmus showed both enthusiasm and wariness as the world champions get ready to face some of rugby’s toughest rivals.

We are thrilled about the tour and the opportunity to compete against some of the top teams globally,” said Erasmus. “A significant amount of effort has been invested behind the scenes since the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, and we hope this will position us well to continue building on our performance this season.

He admitted that the conditions in the UK and Europe will present difficulties, but thinks the team’s international experience will be beneficial. “The weather is significantly different from what we’re accustomed to in South Africa at this time of year, but luckily several of our players have encountered these conditions during their United Rugby Championship trips or while representing foreign clubs. The time zone is also comparable, which enables us to quickly return to full Test readiness.”

Looking forward to facing the opposition, Erasmus cautioned against dismissing Japan, who famously defeated South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. “Japan have been consistently progressing, and we know they’ll be fully committed next Saturday,” he stated. “France will be highly motivated following our World Cup quarter-final encounter in Paris, and games against Ireland in Dublin are always extremely challenging. Italy demonstrated strong perseverance against us in Pretoria earlier this year, and Wales will be keen to prove themselves in Cardiff after significantly improving their performance this season.”

Erasmus emphasized the significance of perseverance and mental resilience throughout the challenging tour. “It won’t be easy, but we have a talented team. We understand what they are capable of when we remain focused on our strategies and perform to our best on the day,” he added.

The Springboks’ November tour is set to be an exciting evaluation of strength, focus, and stamina, serving as a key milestone in Erasmus’ efforts to guide the team towards upcoming global achievements.