Springbok brains trust satisfied as Stellenbosch camp wraps up

The Springbok coaches are satisfied with the team's progress after a group of players concluded a three-day training camp in Stellenbosch on Wednesday.

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It was the Boks' first preparation steps for their year-end European tour, as well as the SA A side's matches against club sides Munster (Ireland) and Bristol Bears (England).

According to a statement from SA Rugby, the players were put through their paces in a handful of training and gym sessions and had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the national systems again.

SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, and the Springbok and SA A head coaches, Jacques Nienaber and Mzwandile Stick, will announce the travelling squads on Friday.

On their tour, the Boks will tackle Ireland (Dublin, 5 November), France (Marseille, 12 November), Italy (Genoa, 19 November), and England (London, 26 November).

The SA A team's match against Munster will be on Thursday, 10 November and the Bristol Bears game a week later on 17 November.

"It was a fantastic camp, and it offered the coaches an ideal opportunity to get the players to switch their focus to the Ireland Test next week and the forthcoming SA A matches," said Erasmus.

"It was also valuable in the sense that it exposed new players such as Manie (Libbok) and Sacha (Mngomezulu) to our structures and to see them in action as we finalise the selections for the Springbok and SA A teams. It was pleasing to see their, and the rest of the training squad's enthusiasm.

"The Springboks are facing the two best teams in the world on successive weekends in Ireland and France, and Italy and England are always forces to be reckoned with, especially at home,