Rassie revives SA 'A' team for Springbok curtain raiser to strengthen squad depth

The SA 'A' side last played in 2022 during the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour against Munster and the Bristol Bears.

With the 2027 Rugby World Cup approaching, the fixture provides valuable preparation for South Africa as they look to build squad depth. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is expected to use the match to assess players in his wider squad, as well as those pushing for selection at international level.

"The match between the SA 'A' team and Zimbabwe will serve as a fantastic opportunity for both teams to achieve some of their objectives with the Rugby World Cup in mind, and from a South African point of view, we have seen the benefits of having an SA 'A' team playing against quality opposition," said Erasmus.

"Players such as Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu), Ruan (Nortje), Grant (Williams), Aphelele (Fassi), and Elrigh (Louw), among others, all played for the team in the early stages of their international careers, and have become important members of our squad since, so this match will offer us another chance to give guys within our squad and others who have really put up their hands to prove what they can do against international opposition.

"We have done well to rotate our squad and give several players a chance in the last two seasons, but there are others who have performed really well outside of that group, who we would like to see in action, so we'll be able to cast our net wider as we prepare for that encounter."

Fans in Gqeberha now have a unique double header to look forward to, with rising SA 'A' talent on show in the curtain-raiser before the Springboks take on the Barbarians.

The SA 'A' game is scheduled to kick off at 12h00, and the match between the Springboks and the Barbarians at 15h00.

"It's always great to return to the Eastern Cape, where the Boks enjoy immense support, and to have back-to-back matches play out at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will make the occasion of playing our first match of the year even more special," he said.

The Springboks will host their second alignment camp in May, and Erasmus is set to name his squad for their official training camp in June, a few weeks later. The coach for the SA 'A' team will also be announced in due course.

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