Jacques Nienaber wants South Africa to go into World Cup with momentum

Jacques Nienaber, the head coach of the Springboks, has emphasized the significance of establishing momentum in all their pre-World Cup Tests before embarking on their journey to France for the tournament.

The Springboks have a total of 10 Tests scheduled for this year, excluding any potential World Cup playoffs, with six of them set to occur prior to their departure for RWC 2023.

In an interview with rugby365.com, Nienaber clarified that while they hope for an undefeated campaign in the Rugby Championship, managing player workload will take priority as they prepare for the World Cup.

“We want to win every Test, but there might be some rotational changes throughout the six Tests leading up to the World Cup,” said Nienaber.

“We have a plan set out in how we want to tackle the six Tests. But we will be forced to re-evaluate.

“You want to go into the World Cup with momentum. We have a plan for the first three Tests – the Rugby Championship. However, depending on injuries and how much squad depth there is in each position, we might rejig the team.”

Nienaber also added that they are considering sending split squads to the opening two Rugby Championship Tests against Australia and New Zealand.

“Depending on how many players we have available, we could send 15 guys to New Zealand earlier,” he added.

“That will depend on injuries. However, it is something we have done in the past and may do again.”