Portugal won’t pose a threat to a makeshift Springbok lineup on Saturday, or the historic clash provide Rassie Erasmus with any insight for the 2024 Rugby Championship, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Salmaan Moerat will take over the Bok captaincy for the first time when he leads a squad featuring seven uncapped players in a first Test against emerging nation Portugal in Bloemfontein.
Erasmus released 16 players from camp on Wednesday, which will allow them a 10-day break before the Rugby Championship squad assembles in Johannesburg next week.
The Bok kick off their campaign against the Wallabies in Perth and Brisbane in August, and writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane believes Saturday’s match won’t give Erasmus any answers for the southern hemisphere competition.
He notes that while the Boks should win by a large margin, the real value lies in the players’ opportunity to prove themselves.
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Despite Portugal’s notable performances in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Keohane emphasises that Os Lobos are a Tier Two nation and the Boks, even with a ‘B’ team, are expected to win decisively.
He highlights several Bok firsts, including Moerat becoming the first Muslim captain, as well as debutant Andre-Hugo Venter and his father, Andre, becoming the 16th father-son duo to play for South Africa.
“This one-off match has been given official Test status so one can’t argue that it is not a Test team. It is a team playing in a Test, but the merits of the strength of the starting XV and match 23 is not quite as clear cut,” Keohane writes.
“This is very much a Bok ‘B’ team. Portugal, on individual and collective strength, should not come within 40 points of the Springboks, who will probably start indifferently and end emphatically.
“Erasmus knows that the value of this Test is player game time because the quality of the opposition does not allow for questions to be asked. This Test will give no Springbok Rugby Championship answers.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
The post Rassie knows value of Bok ‘B’ team Test appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
