Rassie shifts Hooker Brits to no.8
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VERSATILE: Schalk Brits. Photo: Willem Loock/BackpagePix. VERSATILE: Schalk Brits. Photo: Willem Loock/BackpagePix.
Don't laugh if Springbok hooker Schalk Brits takes the field in the backrow against Japan on Friday.
Coach Rassie Erasmus is playing mad scientist again ahead of his team’s final warm-up match for the World Cup against the tournament’s hosts.
Erasmus will name his team for the match on Tuesday and is expected to experiment one last time.
With the injured Marcell Coetzee and Rynhardt Elstadt, who has not made the cut for the 31-man squad to Japan, no longer available, Erasmus knows he is a bit thin in the loose forward department.
His first-choice backrow is captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen.
TAKING RISKS: Rassie Erasmus. Photo: Paul Childs/Reuters.
Other than that, they have Francois Louw and Kwagga Smith to call on.
But that’s it and that’s where the 38-year-old Brits comes in.
Erasmus told Rapport over the weekend: “I know people will laugh about it, but even a guy like Schalk could end up in the loose trio to give us a chance to manage our players.
“Some of the games are played only four or five days apart and you can’t play Siya [Kolisi], Duane [Vermeulen] and Pieter-Steph [Du Toit] again and again.
“Players who need to rest should not even be on the bench.
“We have chosen the World Cup squad in such a way that certain players will sometimes be able to be completely off.
“So, in some of the games, a guy like Schalk can even play No.8.”
Erasmus only has one chance to toy with the idea and that is on Friday.
It will, however, be wise of Erasmus to pick a strong team for this encounter as they gear up for the first match against the All Blacks in three weeks’ time.
CRUCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi must play. Photo: Willem Loock/BackpagePix.
Kolisi is in need of game time ahead of the big clash, while playing him next to Vermeulen and Du Toit for the first time this year is a must ahead of their opener against the All Blacks.
Therefore, Brits will in all likelihood come off the bench to complete the experiment.