By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Springbok fullback and veteran Willie le Roux will join the national squad in Durban on Sunday and train with the team until Wednesday.
The team is preparing to face Argentina in their penultimate Castle Lager Rugby Championship match at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday.
According to a statement released on Sunday, Le Roux will train with the Boks until Wednesday to prepare them for Saturday’s must-win clash.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus named a squad of 33 players for their two closing matches of the competition against the Pumas – the second of which will take place at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday 4 October – but with the team set to switch into full throttle at training this week, he called up Le Roux to assist in their preparations.
The latest Springbok centurion will return to the Bulls following the conclusion of the team’s main training block on Wednesday, making him available for selection for the Pretoria side’s opening United Rugby Championship match against the Ospreys at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 2pm.
Willie is a member of our wider squad, and we feel it will benefit us to have him train with us early in the week, “said Erasmus.
“We try to train the way we play, and by having him in camp it will allow us to improve the quality of our training sessions ahead of this vital match.
“Every point will count in the next two games if we want to win the competition, so it’s essential that we get the most out of our training time to be as sharp as possible when we take the field.”
Erasmus added: “I’d like to thank Johan Ackermann and the Vodacom Bulls for releasing him to train with us, and we wish them and the other South African teams the best of luck for the opening round of the Vodacom URC.”
Meanwhile SA Rugby still hasn’t extended the contract of Erasmus.
Fullview understands Erasmus wants to focus on the Rugby Championship for now, with talks expected to intensify between October and November, once the competition wraps up and before the end-of-year tour.
It is understood Erasmus already has at least two other offers on the table as his current deal with SA Rugby runs only until the 2027 World Cup in Australia.