OPINION: Springboks playing outside the Test window a good thing

The Springboks will battle it out against England outside of the international rugby Test window for the second time in four years when they meet at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.

It has become a regular occurrence over the years when playing four games on the end-of-year-tour that one of the matches will fall outside of the Test window, which the Boks are used to by now, but it does impact team selection.

Last year’s end-of-year-tour saw the Boks play three games, against Wales, Ireland and England, with all three in the Test window, allowing them to play a full strength team in every game.

ALSO READ: Mapimpi is back, as battle for Bok wing positions continues

However as in 2018, the Boks face England outside the window on Saturday.

With the Boks having a number of players playing club rugby in France and the UK, a match falling outside the Test window means those clubs can recall all their players, leaving a team like the Boks, in this instance, with places to fill.

Missing

This weekend the Boks will be missing regular starters such as Cheslin Kolbe and Jasper Wiese, while Vincent Koch and Trevor Nyakane are often in the match 23, and Cobus Reinach and Andre Esterhuizen or more fringe players.

England in contrast, somewhat bizarrely, will be fielding a full strength team, as they have an agreement with their club sides that they can field their star players despite the game being outside the international window.

This will obviously give the hosts a leg up, but it offers the Boks a chance to give some of their fringe players a run in a massive game in front of a partisan home crowd.

This is an important experience and one that will benefit players such as Evan Roos, Marvin Orie, Manie Libbok and Canan Moodie, where they may ordinarily not have received this opportunity.

So playing a game outside of the Test window is not a bad thing, however it would be better if the Boks could have picked their opponents to play outside of it, as they would have wanted to field a full strength side against England, while a game against Italy outside the window would be preferable.