Twickenham to host Springboks in June: According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, a Test against Wales has been scheduled prior to the world champions hosting Ireland in July.
The upcoming match gives Rassie Erasmus and his assistant coaches the opportunity to make final adjustments in preparation for a two-Test series against reigning Six Nations champions Wales.
The test against Wales will be the first time the Springboks have played without players such as Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones, who played key roles in the team’s victories in the 2019 and 2023 World Cup series.
Reports suggest that former Irish catcher Jerry Flannery and former All Blacks Tony Brown have been signed to replace Nienaber and Jones.
The Springboks will return to Twickenham for the first time since their record-breaking victory over the All Blacks in the warm-up for last year’s World Cup.
Elsewhere, Andy Farrell’s Ireland made a good start to their title defense with a 38-17 victory over France in Marseille, marking their bid to retain the Six Nations title.
SPRINGBOKS TEST SCHEDULE FOR 2024
| Opponent | Date | Venue | Competition |
| Wales | June | Twickenham Stadium, London | Mid-year Test |
| Ireland | 6 July | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | Incoming mid-year tour |
| Ireland | 13 July | Kings Park, Durban | Incoming mid-year tour |
| Portugal | 20 July | Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein | Incoming mid-year tour |
| All Blacks | 31 August | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Rugby Championship |
| All Blacks | 7 September | DHL Stadium, Cape Town | Rugby Championship |
| Argentina | 28 September | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit | Rugby Championship |
The match will serve as an excellent preparation for South Africa’s two-Test series against Ireland in Pretoria and Durban, which will be followed by a historic clash with Portugal in Bloemfontein.
It will also be used to assess the Springboks’ new coaching arrangements, following the departures of Jacques Nienaber (head coach) and Felix Jones (attack coach).
Reports suggest that Rassie Erasmus will return to the helm as head coach, while former Ireland player Jerry Flannery and former All Blacks player Tony Brown are also believed to be recruited into the Springboks management team.
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