The Springboks have made 10 changes to their starting XV and 14 to their match 23 for their clash against Wales in Durban.
Flyhalf Vusi Moyo, in action for the Springboks against the Barbarians last month, will earn his first official Bok cap against Wales in Durban on Saturday. Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is excited to see what the debutants can bring this weekend in the Boks’ final Nations Championship match of the July window against Wales in Durban on Saturday.
Erasmus continued his rotational policy by making 10 changes to the starting XV and 14 to the match 23 from the side that faced Scotland at Loftus, as he looks to give everyone in the squad a run, after he made 13 changes last week to the match 23 that faced England at Ellis Park.
Youngsters, 20-year-old Vusi Moyo (flyhalf) and 21-year-old Jaco Williams (wing), as well as forwards Carlu Sadie (prop) and Ruben van Heerden (lock) have all been named in the starting lineup and will make their debuts in the match.
“Like last weekend (against Scotland) and the Barbarians game, there were some guys who got opportunities. Guys like Jaco, Carlu, Vusi and Ruben are the new players this week,” said Erasmus at the team announcement in Durban on Monday.
“They’ve helped prepare the other guys for the previous Test matches. We feel it’s fair to give them an opportunity here.”
Moyo and Williams
Erasmus is particularly looking forward to see what young rising talents Moyo and Williams can bring to the Boks, with both having won the U20 Junior World Championship title in Italy with the Junior Boks last year, and they will now earn their first Springbok Test caps together.
“Sometimes you get a really skilful flyhalf, sometimes you get a small, nippy flyhalf. When Handré (Pollard) was a young guy coming through, he was somebody who took the ball to the line. So all flyhalves have got different things and sometimes a guy gets away with being small and nippy,” explained Erasmus.
“I think Vusi, for his age, is a very big boy. He certainly doesn’t stand back from the physical side of the game. He’s nice and calm. It’s Test rugby, so he will be tested in that. He kicks brilliantly off the tee, his restarts are excellent, he kicks to touch well and he kicks well at goal.
“We want to see him in a Test match because what he has shown in training sessions and also in the Barbarians match, he definitely showed a lot. For a big guy, he’s got really soft hands.
“I always thought Jaco was just a nippy guy and just a finisher, but he’s certainly a guy who brings it physically. For a 21-year-old, he’s a powerful player. And he’s got a lot of speed and x-factor.”
Other players
A few other inexperienced players will get another chance to impress, including flank Paul de Villiers who will start his third straight match, and lock Cobus Wiese who also keeps his place in the starting lineup from the Scotland game.
On the bench one-cap Bok hooker Andre-Hugo Venter comes in, as well as recalled scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies, and they will both be eager to make a statement as well.
In the starting side there are a number of experienced heads, led by captain Pieter-Steph du Toit who will deputize again in the absence of Siya Kolisi, and he will earn his 98th Bok cap, while inside centre Damian de Allende will pick up his 99th, outside centre Jesse Kriel his 90th and hooker Malcolm Marx his 89th.
In all the only Bok players named in the original 46-man Nations Championship squad that will not see game time in the series are Kolisi (hamstring strain), Eben Etzebeth (concussion), Riley Norton (hamstring injury), Lood de Jager (hip injury) and Franco Mostert (ankle injury).
