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Stick: Boks not running out of Tests before World Cup

Cape Town - Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick expects all sides to be in the same boat when the 2019 World Cup kicks off next year.

The Boks end their 2018 season with a Test against Wales at Cardiff on Saturday, leaving them just three or four Tests remaining until the 2019 World Cup in Japan. 

There will be no Incoming series in June next year, while the 2019 Rugby Championship will be shortened to just one round. 

The Boks are expected, however, to take on Argentina in a second clash next year after the completion of the Rugby Championship. 

But, according to Stick, the Boks are not running out of time and there will be constant communication with the players throughout next year's Super Rugby competition. 

"We've got a good relationship with our franchises back home. We get to keep in touch with our players and go and visit them," Stick said in Cardiff on Tuesday.

"Any boxes we want to tick, we make sure we follow up with the franchises and we monitor the players by giving them reports on how they are playing.

"We take every opportunity we get to make sure that our players get better."

The bigger northern hemisphere sides have the Six Nations early next year, but Stick is expecting the World Cup to level the playing fields. 

"It's not only a disadvantage for us. All of the other teams probably have four games before they go to the World Cup, with the exception of the Six Nations teams," he said.

"We knew that this was going to be the challenge that we were going to face and when it comes to the World Cup everyone will start from scratch and be in the same boat."

Kick-off on Saturday is at 19:20 (SA time). 

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