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- There will be no specific instruction to follow a blueprint Springbok game plan, according to national director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, when Green and Gold teams meet at Newlands in the Springbok.
Springbok, (Antidorcas marsupialis), graceful, strikingly marked antelope of the gazelle tribe, Antilopini (family Bovidae, order Artiodactyla). The springbok is native to the open, treeless plains of southern Africa. It once roamed in enormous herds but is now much reduced in numbers.
South Africa will kick off their 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan with a blockbuster opening encounter against the reigning champions, New Zealand, on Saturday 21 September in the International Stadium Yokohama.
South Africa, World Cup champions in 1995 and 2007, face three-time winners New Zealand in the first of four matches during the pool stages of the tournament.
The contest between two teams that have won five of the eight editions of the World Cup played since its inception in 1987‚ promises to be a highlight of the pool phase and certainly the most enticing match-up of the opening weekend.
The All Blacks and Springboks have met on four occasions at the World Cup with each side winning twice.
The last time the Springboks and All Blacks clashed at the World Cup was in 2015, when New Zealand defeated South Africa by two points in an epic semi-final match at Twickenham in London, England. The Boks then overcame Argentina in the third-place playoff to clinch the bronze medal.
South Africa also have Italy, the top seed African side from the qualifiers and the repechage winner.
The Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup match schedule is (with local and SA times):
Saturday, 21 September: South Africa vs New Zealand, International Stadium Yokohama (18h45 / 11h45)
Saturday, 28 September: South Africa vs Africa 1, City of Toyota Stadium (18h45 / 11h45)
Friday, 4 October: South Africa vs Italy, Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa (18h45 / 11h45)
Tuesday, 8 October: South Africa vs Repechage winner, Kobe Misaki Stadium (19h15 / 12h15)
Springbok Game This Weekend On Tv
The Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked match between Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs scheduled for Emirates Airlines Park this afternoon has been called off in line with COVID-19 protocols.
The decision was taken as part of prescribed precautions advised by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to limit the risk of further infection in the rugby community.
The cancellation was triggered on Saturday morning following the receipt of results from a second batch of tests on Emirates Lions senior squad playing and coaching personnel, which revealed two further positive cases.
The tests had been prompted by the recording of four other positive tests among the same group earlier in the week.
The players who tested positive and identified close contacts are isolating and quarantining according to Department of Health guidelines. The players are in good health and are being monitored by the team doctor.
If the fixture cannot be-rescheduled, both teams will take two points.
“Containing the spread of the disease is a national imperative and this first impact on the rugby schedule is a stark reminder of how vigilant our community has to be and how rigorous we must be in following the rules,” said Jurie Roux, SA Rugby CEO.
“Safety comes first, and although it is extremely disappointing for all concerned, it is a reminder to our teams and players of the role their actions will play in avoiding the risk of more cancellations.
Springbok Game This Weekend 2019
“Despite having followed the advisory precautions and the plans that were approved by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC), we will take this opportunity to review them and strengthen them if required.”
Springbok Rugby Game This Weekend
The Vodacom Bulls match with the Cell C Sharks is unaffected and will continue as scheduled at 19h00 at Loftus Versfeld.