16 sniffly days till the Rugby World Cup begins

Spring Day is a reminder the flowers are about to bloom which means pollen in the air. That is nothing to be excited about for those who have sensitive noses or suffer from asthma.

However, in the minds of rugby fans, it means we are finally in the month of September and just 16 days from now, the Rugby World Cup will commence.

And every four years, just before the Springboks jet off, we’ve had our quotas, debates and threats of boycotting the team.

But as soon as the men in green and gold begin their campaign, the entire nation will be supporting them.

The Springboks will start their mission to bring back the William Webb Ellis Cup back to the country by facing Japan in the Pool B encounter.

The match will be played at the Brighton Community Stadium in Brighton on Saturday 19 September.

The day before, hosts England will hope to make a good start when they face off against Fiji in the World Cup opening match at Twickenham in London.

The squad chosen by Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer to participate in the world cup is a mixture of youth and experience.

Backs:

Willie le Roux; Zane Kirchner; Bryan Habana; JP Pietersen; Lwazi Mvovo; Jean de Villiers (capt); Damian de Allende; Jesse Kriel; Handré Pollard; Pat Lambie; Morné Steyn; Fourie du Preez; Ruan Pienaar; Rudy Paige.

Forwards:

Duane Vermeulen; Francois Louw; Willem Alberts; Schalk Burger; Siya Kolisi; Victor Matfield; Eben Etzebeth; Pieter-Steph du Toit; Lood de Jager; Bismarck du Plessis; Adriaan Strauss; Schalk Brits; Tendai Mtawarira; Jannie du Plessis; Trevor Nyakane; Frans Malherbe; Coenie Oosthuizen.

What do you think of the Springbok squad?

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