The Springboks would have travelled the world to take on the “special” British and Irish Lions says South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.
The tour begins in South Africa in July after various alternative locations were explored as Covid contingencies.
The Lions tour every four years, alternating between series in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
“We were prepared to play in the UK, we were prepared to play in Dubai, with crowds or without,” said Erasmus.
“I think the only thing that is special in the whole world of rugby is probably the British and Irish Lions.”
This year’s tour is set to be played behind closed doors although Erasmus said he hadn’t given up hope of a limited number of fans being allowed to attend some matches.
“I was so nervous at one stage, we were facing it being cancelled and not having for another 12 years,” added Erasmus, who made his Springbok debut against the tourists in 1997.
“On our side there are guys who will never have the opportunity again.
“Very few people can say they play against four countries on one Saturday. That makes it special. I wouldn’t say it tops the World Cup because that is the pinnacle, but it’s very close.”
Erasmus was intrigued by Lions coach Warren Gatland’s 37-man squad selection which included Exeter back row Sam Simmonds, who has not played Test rugby in more than three years.
“There are fast loose forwards, explosive loose forwards…but the whole pack, the props are mobile and fast,” he said.
“It is almost like a team that plays on the Highveld, in winter, at altitude. Those boys can move.
“Simmonds has made his mark, stamped his authority in the way he was playing for his club and that made him tough to ignore. It looks like a good pack to me.”
Gatland has ‘something up his sleeve’
Erasmus suspects the New Zealander, who he has crossed swords with on three occasions when Gatland was Wales coach, may also be preparing a few surprises for the Test series.
“We are not friends. I don’t go and have a barbecue with him when I see him, but he is a guy that I’ve always felt has the right intention with coaching,” Erasmus said.
“There is never a weird, funny feeling after a match – lose or win. I enjoy him as a person and I think we have very similar mindset in terms of coaching and that’s why it’s always such a weird tussle when we play.
“The way Warren has picked his Lions squad, his backline, his support staff and assistant coaches with Gregor Townsend in there, I think he has something up his sleeve.
“I don’t think we will see the battle of attrition and grinding it out like in the World Cup. I think he has other plans.
“I think we will see a change in his gameplan, but he might just be throwing us some bait, I’m not sure.
“Finishing with two Highveld games and the loose forwards that he has picked, I think he has a few plans.”
South Africa will name a 45-strong squad for the series on 5 June. They will take on Georgia on 2 and 9 July to warm up for the series after being unable to play since winning the World Cup in November 2019.
However Erasmus believes that the challenge the Lions face of bonding together four different nations in a single team is just as great as his own.
“The Lions have to put four countries together with gameplans, styles, cultures and mindsets, whereas we are all South Africans,” he added.
“It would have been lovely to play last year, but we see it as almost even par with the Lions when it comes to that. It is not ideal but not the end of the world.”
Head coach Jacques Nienaber added that Leicester’s in-form but uncapped South African back row Jasper Wiese has “really knocked the door down” during his time in England.
“He is really performing well,” said Nienaber. “He is playing in top-level competition against some of the best players in the world.”
