Meyer announces Bok planning camps

SPRINGBOK COACH Heyneke Meyer has named a group of players that will be attending the first planning camp in Pretoria next week.

This will be the first of three camps planned during the following two months of Super Rugby to help prepare for three-test series against England in June.

Players from the Lions and Cheetahs will attend the April 16-19 planning camp, as both teams have a bye next weekend.

“I’ve been mindful of the fact that we won’t have a lot of time to prepare for England, but these sessions will greatly assist in getting the players ready for when we get together a week before the first test,” says Meyer.

“The five Super Rugby franchises have been very accommodating in assisting us with the release of players for the various planning sessions and walk through camps.

“We’ve planned these camps in accordance with their bye weekends during Super Rugby and I’ve given the franchises the assurance that there won’t be any intense field training during our sessions – it will be mostly theoretical planning sessions as well as walk through sessions of our planned plays.”

The second planning camp, from April 23-26 in Pretoria, will feature players from the Bulls and Sharks, while the third camp will take place in Cape Town with Stormers players from May 1-3.

“I’m planning to look quite wide at most of the eligible players from our five Super Rugby squads when I invite players to attend our sessions – including currently injured players. The more players that are aware of how we’d like to play this year, the better for the Springboks’ preparations for a very tough season,” says Meyer.

First Springbok planning camp: Coenie Oosthuizen, Caylib Oosthuizen, Pat Cilliers, CJ van der Linde, WP Nel, Adriaan Strauss, Bandise Maku, Callie Visagie, Izak van der Westhuizen, Davon Raubenheimer, Franco van der Merwe, Heinrich Brüssow, Derick Minnie, Pieter Labuschagne, Ashley Johnson, Juan Smith, Josh Strauss, Philip van der Walt, Piet van Zyl, Michael Bondesio, Johan Goosen, Elton Jantjies, Butch James, Willie le Roux, Andries Strauss, Doppies La Grange, Robert Ebersohn, Alwyn Hollenbach, Lionel Mapoe, Jaco Taute, Hennie Daniller