Rassie Erasmus is considering selecting five uncapped players for the Springboks’ opening Test of 2024 against Wales at Twickenham next Saturday.
Among the 12 newcomers in the current Bok camp, winger Edwill van der Merwe and fullback Quan Horn are strong contenders for the starting lineup in London.
Erasmus praised Van der Merwe, emphasising his impressive performance in training. With injuries sidelining Cheslin Kolbe, Canan Moodie, and Kurt-Lee Arendse, Van der Merwe is a likely candidate on the right wing. Jesse Kriel and Aphelele Fassi are also being considered, but Kriel and Damian de Allende are expected to form the midfield.
Erasmus is also evaluating Fassi and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at fullback. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s versatility as a flyhalf or inside centre adds to his potential.
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Several other newcomers might be included as substitutes, with Erasmus balancing the need to win against Wales and managing player development.
“You’ll want [Malcolm Marx] to start managing his game time,” the Bok boss was quoted Sunday newspaper Rapport.
“One would like to see the other talent at hooker, but you don’t want what happened in 2018 against Wales [in Washington] to happen again and you lose the Test because you give too many newcomers exposure. We want to win the Test. We also want to manage players returning from injury, and we also want to give newcomers a chance to play. It’s a balancing act.
“We have to keep our long-term hat on [for the 2027 World Cup in Australia], but we have to pick a team that wins the Test.
“Everything depends on our momentum. When one has momentum, it is easy to make changes. The seniors in the group understand that there are newcomers around them. They help us with them. Some newcomers can play against Wales in the Irish series.”
Photo: @Springboks/Twitter
The post Rassie to unleash rookies on Wales appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
