Boks gear up for blockbuster season with second alignment camp in Cape Town

Head coach Rassie Erasmus has assembled a group of 38 players for the two-day gathering.

The first alignment camp was hosted in March, with a series of online alignment sessions with selected locally based and overseas players replacing the initial plan of an in-person camp early in May, due to the majority of the players involved in the northern hemisphere at the time.

Players from the Hollywoodbets Sharks â- who are playing in the Challenge Cup final against Gloucester at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Friday â- have been excused from this week's camp.

The camp follows on a two-day coaches' strategic session hosted last weekend where the building blocks were put in place for the camp.

"We are moving into a new cycle as a group as our first Test is only a few weeks away, so it is vital that we start diving deeper into our on-field planning," said Erasmus.

"In the first two camps we presented our wider plans to the players and introduced the new ideas presented by all the coaches and especially the new additions to the coaching team in Tony Brown, Jerry Flannery and Jaco Peyer, so we are in a good position to start zooming into different areas of the game in more detail."

Erasmus added: "With our first Test around the corner it will be great to have everyone together and ensure that the coaches and players are 100% aligned in terms of what we want to achieve and how we plan to approach the season.

"We have a challenging year lined up as the Test against Wales falls outside of the international window, and then we play two Tests against Ireland, the second-ranked team in the world, and our first Test against Portugal in the Castle Lager Incoming Series.

"We then move on to the Castle Lager Rugby Championship which kicks off with back-to-back away Tests against Australia, followed by two Tests against New Zealand in South Africa, and two matches against Argentina, away and at home.

"Our Castle Lager Outgoing Tour will also serve as a thorough test with matches against Scotland, England and Wales lined up, so the sooner we are aligned as a group, the better."

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