The Bok boss has decided to keep Italy and SA rugby fans guessing until Thursday about who will feature in Turin.
For the second week running, Rassie Erasmus has opted to keep his opponents, and South African rugby fans, guessing about who he’ll send into action when the Springboks take on Italy in Turin on Saturday.
Erasmus was supposed to name his team on Monday, but Lood de Jager’s hearing, after picking up a red card against France last Saturday, and a few sore bodies after the match in Paris has forced the coach to change his mind and he will now only name his match-23 on Thursday afternoon.
There is now of course plenty of speculation about who will play on Saturday. Italy’s surprise win against the Wallabies last weekend might also impact Erasmus’ thinking, though the Bok boss has been known to decide on his team lineups well in advance of Test matches.
Assistant Bok coach Tony Brown also said on Monday that the “best team” would take on Italy because they don’t underestimate their opponents this weekend and rate them highly playing in front of their own fans.
The Boks though got the better of Italy in two Tests in South Africa in July, though the visitors were not at full strength. Still, the Boks, whoever Erasmus decides to send into battle, should have enough fire power to get the better of the Azzurri.
Options aplenty
So, what can we expect of the team?
There will be changes, for sure. The players who haven’t featured at all on tour — against France or Japan — are Ben-Jason Dixon, Jean Kleyn, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Marco van Staden, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard, Morné van den Berg and Edwill van der Merwe — and they’re sure to get into the matchday-23.
Other players who haven’t featured all that much on tour and could get into a starting team include Thomas de Toit, Johan Grobbelar, Franco Mostert, Ruan Nortje, Zachary Porthen, Kwagga Smith, Boan Venter, Ethan Hooker, Manie Libbok and Grant Williams.
It will also be interesting to see where Erasmus picks certain players.
There has been talk of Hooker, who has played mainly on the wing for the Boks and also started there against Japan, could find himself at inside centre on Saturday, with perhaps Moodie outside him?
Pollard is the favourite to get game time at flyhalf, with Van den Berg his scrumhalf. Will Van der Merwe run out at wing or fullback though, the latter position where he has played for the Sharks in recent times?
It’s anyone’s guess what the pack will look like, but Smith, Van Staden, Dixon, Kleyn, Porthen and Ntlabakanye are almost sure to be in the match-23.
Erasmus will name his lineup for the Italy match on Thursday afternoon.
The Boks have beaten Japan and France so far on tour and after this weekend’s match against Italy face Ireland in Dublin and Wales in Cardiff.
Springbok squad:
Forwards: Lood de Jager, Ben-Jason Dixon, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Grobbelaar, Jean Kleyn, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert, Ruan Nortje, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Zachary Porthen, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jasper Wiese
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morné van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe, Damian Willemse, Grant Williams
