The Springboks will play three Tests on their end-of-year tour to the United Kingdom, with a star-studded 34-man squad having been named for these clashes against Scotland, England and Wales.
South Africa currently sit in second place on the world rankings, 0.35 points behind Ireland.
England are currently the highest ranked of the Boks’ opponents in fifth position on the world rankings, with Scotland in seventh place, and Wales in 11th position.
Considering these positions, it won’t be easy for the Springboks to improve their rankings by all the much in order to finish the year at the summit of the rankings, but it also remains to be seen how Ireland perform in their November Tests against New Zealand, Argentina and Fiji.
Rassie Erasmus said the Springbok expected a completely different challenge from the northern hemisphere teams to that which they faced against New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia in the last few months.
“The Outgoing Tour is always a tough test because it marks the end of our international season and the beginning of their season,” said Erasmus.
“That said, the November internationals always present a good challenge for us because the teams we will line up against are among the top sides in the world and they play a different brand of rugby to that which we faced in the Rugby Championship, which we enjoy because it tests us in a different way and allows us to grow as a team.
“The conditions in the northern hemisphere are also different, which is a new challenge all together, but we are excited about the tour and to see if we can build on what has been a rewarding season for the team so far.”
Here are the end-of-year fixtures and kick off times for the Springboks:
Sunday, 10 November vs Scotland at Murrayfield, Edinburgh – 18:10 (SA time)
Saturday, 16 November vs England, Allianz Stadium, London – 19:40 (SA time)
Saturday, 23 November vs Wales, Principality Stadium, Cardiff – 19:40 (SA time)
WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS AHEAD OF END-OF-YEAR TESTS
| RANK | COUNTRY | POINTS |
| 1 | Ireland | 92.12 |
| 2 | South Africa | 91.77 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.70 |
| 4 | France | 86.96 |
| 5 | England | 85.40 |
| 6 | Argentina | 84.30 |
| 7 | Scotland | 82.82 |
| 8 | Italy | 79.98 |
| 9 | Fiji | 79.64 |
| 10 | Australia | 79.32 |
| 11 | Wales | 76.04 |
| 12 | Georgia | 74.10 |
| 13 | Samoa | 72.68 |
| 14 | Japan | 72.31 |
| 15 | Portugal | 70.61 |
| 16 | Tonga | 68.12 |
| 17 | Uruguay | 67.39 |
| 18 | Spain | 66.29 |
| 19 | USA | 65.70 |
| 20 | Romania | 62.62 |
WHICH TEAM WILL BE NO 1 AT THE END OF 2024?
Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest Bok news.
