The Boks may look to give several more players an opportunity to show what they can do.
U20 flyhalf Vusi Moyo could make his Springbok debut this coming weekend. Picture: Steve Haag/Nations Championship via Getty Images
The Springboks are set to unleash a mix-and-match team of returning established stars and up and coming players in their final Nations Championship game of the July window against Wales at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
It has been a perfect start to the new competition for the Boks, after they picked an experienced team that beat England 45-21 in their opener at Ellis Park just over a week ago, before they made a slew of changes and watched an inexperienced side down Scotland 42-28 at Loftus over the weekend.
More changes in another new-look side are expected this week for the clash against Wales. A bunch of fit-again plyers are expected to get game time, while players in the extended squad who’ve yet to feature this July window are also likely to get a chance.
Combination of young and old
Captain Siya Kolisi, who suffered a hamstring strain during the captain’s run before the England clash, is expected to return, while Lood de Jager is also in the running to play.
Coach Rassie Erasmus also hopes that Ethan Hooker, who went off due to concussion protocols against Scotland, and Canan Moodie, who was a late withdrawal from the team due to a tight hamstring, will be available to take on the visitors.
“We will probably pick a bit of a combination (of experienced and inexperienced players). Some guys will be coming in after returning to fitness,” explained Erasmus.
“We don’t understand Ethan Hooker’s concussion, because we didn’t see any incident but his mouthguard pinged (and he had to go off). So hopefully he will be clear (to play). We want to give Jesse (Kriel) a rest and if Canan is fit we can maybe put him in at 13.
“From Monday we are hoping to get Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) into the (training) group, because he might be ready for Argentina (at the start of August) or New Zealand (Greatest Rivalry series).
“Siya might be ready, Lood will hopefully be ready.”
U20 stars and uncapped players
The Boks might also look to hand out a few debuts to some of their fringe players, among them young backs from the U20 ranks, Vusi Moyo (flyhalf) and Jaco Williams (wing), and forwards Carlu Sadie (prop) and Ruben van Heerden (lock). One-cap Bok hooker Andre-Hugo Venter and recalled No 9 Herschel Jantjies could also get a run.
If all of them are picked the only players from the Bok 46-man squad that wouldn’t have played in the Nations Championship games, would be Eben Etzebeth (due to concussion) and injured utility forwards Riley Norton and Franco Mostert.
