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Boks step up preparation for season opener against Barbarians

The Star

|

June 23, 2025

THE Springboks are set to kick off their 2025 international season on Saturday against the Barbarians in Cape Town, in a year head coach Rassie Erasmus will likely finalise some experiments in his team.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

While the focus will remain on winning as many of their matches — they will play 13 Tests and the invitational match against the Baabaas — to maintain a healthy standing on the World Rugby rankings for the World Cup draw later this year, it will be the final season where the Boks can fully experiment with certain players to see if they will fit into the 2027 Rugby World Cup plans.

The showdown against the Barbarians at the DHL Stadium (5.10PM start) offers the reigning world champions the opportunity to shake off some rust after the off-season.

However, it won't just be for that, they will also experiment with combinations while giving some senior players rest.

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