South Africa are absolutely targeted on profitable this 12 months’s Rugby Championship forward of their World Cup defence in France, Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen stated as they put together to face Australia of their match opener in Pretoria.

The Boks are to make use of a cut up squad tactic this 12 months and can ship plenty of first-team gamers to New Zealand this week to acclimatise forward of their second Rugby Championship fixture towards the All Blacks in Auckland on July 15.

It was a tactic they employed efficiently in 2019 once they gained each the Rugby Championship and World Cup in Japan.

It means they are going to area gamers from their wider squad for the Australia recreation on Saturday, however Esterhuizen says this could on no account be construed because the Boks taking the sport, or the competitors, calmly.

“This sequence (Rugby Championship) is a stepping stone for us to begin shifting in the precise course. We’ve got to get issues proper now earlier than the top objective (the World Cup),” he instructed rep orters on Monday.

“It has been a superb three weeks (of coaching) collectively and we’re all on the identical web page. We all know what the objective is for the following 4 weeks. Everyone seems to be completely happy and is aware of the place they stand.”

Australia will play their first recreation underneath returning coach Eddie Jones having not gained in six earlier conferences with the Boks at Loftus Versfeld.

“I believe the Aussies at all times come to South Africa making an attempt to make an announcement,” Esterhuizen stated. “So we are able to anticipate a tough and good match, particularly with Eddie taking the reins once more.”

“They are going to have a number of issues up their sleeves, and they will include numerous motivation as a result of he (Jones) is aware of the best way to get a group fired up for a recreation.”