Rassie Erasmus has opened up about managing the twilight years of two-time Springbok world champions Makazole Mapimpi and Willie le Roux.
The Bok boss was speaking following Mapimpi’s two-try heroics in Sunday’s 32-15 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield.
The 34-year-old speedster’s clinical finishing has seen him amass 32 tries in 46 Tests since his 2018 Test debut, though Mapimpi now finds himself behind Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse in the pecking order.
“[Mapimpi’s] a special guy,” Erasmus was quoted post-match in Edinburgh. “Sometimes it’s so tough. You’ve got a guy like Edwill [van der Merwe] who hasn’t played a lot, and then he got injured.”
“Then there is a guy like Quan Horn knocking on the door when we’re so close to getting Willie to his 100th match, and we know what form [Aphelele] Fassi is in.”
With 35-year-old Le Roux just two Tests shy of becoming the seventh Bok centurion, Erasmus acknowledged the emotional aspect of selection decisions while maintaining performance standards.
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“As a team, we are a bit like a family as well. Mapimpi is one of us, and there are certain guys knocking really hard on the door.
“We know Cheslin and Kurt-Lee are class, and there are a few other wings that we have brought on tour.”
Despite their age, Mapimpi and Le Roux continue to deliver at the elite level, with the former’s latest brace coming from perfectly executed cross-kicks – one from Handré Pollard and another from Le Roux himself.
“As long as we can look after Mapimps and he scores tries, and we can get Willie to his 100th Test, we will,” Erasmus added.
“There is sometimes some emotional connection with players and the management team, and when we have the opportunity, we try to make it special for them.
“It will be a sad day when Mapimpi is done, because he always produces.”
Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
