Rassie Erasmus said the Springboks are fortunate to be able to call on a wealth of World Cup-winning experience while exposing new talent against Ireland on Saturday.
Willie le Roux and Cheslin Kolbe are among a host of Webb Ellis Cup winners recalled by Erasmus for the first of two Tests between the world champions and Six Nations title-holders in the Republic over the coming weeks.
Twelve of the starting XV for the Loftus Versfeld showdown started in the France 2023 showpiece, with the other three (Le Roux, Kwagga Smith and Ox Nche) coming off the bench in the final.
“This is the team we believe will give us the impetus we need against Ireland, who are the second-highest ranked team in the world,” said Erasmus.
TEAM: Boks recall World Cup stars for series opener
“We are blessed to have a lot of depth in our squad, and we are in a fortunate position to have several Rugby World Cup winners in our ranks who know what it takes to perform at the highest level and play against the best teams in the world.
“The fact that most of these guys have played together is a bonus for us, and most of them have faced Ireland before so they are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, especially since we haven’t beaten them since 2016.”
Erasmus said he was in a fortunate position to be able to call on so much World Cup winning experience.
“It’s great to be in such a position, and while it may serve as a mental boost, Ireland are a quality outfit and they’ll come out guns blazing,” he explained.
“This is a new year for us with new systems in place, so while it certainly helps that most of the players have won a World Cup or two, this is a fresh chapter for us.”
Erasmus said he was excited to see what dimension Gerhard Steenekamp, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Salmaan Moerat, who did not participate in the international spectacle in France last year, would bring to the game – in what will mark Steenekamp and Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s second Tests.
“Gerhard made a strong statement in the front row against Argentina in Buenos Aires last year and we were equally pleased with how easily Sacha slotted in and the contribution he made against Wales,” he added.
“Sacha, similarly to Grant [Williams], also offers us additional options in the backline, as he can cover flyhalf and centre, while Grant is efficient at scrumhalf and wing, which places us in a good position with the six-two split.
“Salmaan, in turn, may only have a few Test caps, but he’s a former Junior Springbok captain, he captained the DHL Stormers, and like Sacha, he came through our elite player development (EPD) system, so they have been exposed to the way we do things at this level for some time now.
“This match will test their skills, but they are all quality players, in whom we have full faith, and it doesn’t get better to experience that against a team like Ireland.”
Erasmus expected a physical onslaught from the visitors in front of a sold-out Loftus crowd and said it would be a full-out battle for 80 minutes.
“Ireland have had the upper hand over us in the last few years and they will certainly want to build on that on Saturday,” he said. “That said, we have a good idea of what to expect from them, especially after the World Cup last year.
“They have a few new players in their ranks this year, but so do we and that contributes to the excitement for the match. They are a physical team that never gives up, but the margins between the teams are fairly small, so it’s going to be an intense battle and one that will require a resolute performance for the full 80 minutes.”
Photo: Paul Harding/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
