Publications
Partners
Cape Town - The Springboks are using their year-end European tour as preparation for next year's Rugby World Cup in England and Wales.
The Boks start their four-game year-end tour with a clash against Ireland at Aviva Stadium on Saturday. It will be followed by Tests against England (London, November 15), Italy (Padova, November 22) and Wales (Cardiff, November 29).
However, with the World Cup less than a year away, the Boks are using the tour as part of their preparations for the world showpiece event.
"Jean de Villiers (Bok captain) said on Saturday that it's exactly 365 days until the World Cup final, so this is not a year-end tour. It's the start of a year in which we want to win the World Cup," lock Victor Matfield told Netwerk24 as the Boks prepared in Dublin for Saturday's clash.
"We are now fully focused on the World Cup tournament. These are the conditions we'll be playing in."
The 2015 Rugby World Cup runs from September 18-October 31.
The Boks start their four-game year-end tour with a clash against Ireland at Aviva Stadium on Saturday. It will be followed by Tests against England (London, November 15), Italy (Padova, November 22) and Wales (Cardiff, November 29).
However, with the World Cup less than a year away, the Boks are using the tour as part of their preparations for the world showpiece event.
"Jean de Villiers (Bok captain) said on Saturday that it's exactly 365 days until the World Cup final, so this is not a year-end tour. It's the start of a year in which we want to win the World Cup," lock Victor Matfield told Netwerk24 as the Boks prepared in Dublin for Saturday's clash.
"We are now fully focused on the World Cup tournament. These are the conditions we'll be playing in."
The 2015 Rugby World Cup runs from September 18-October 31.
