BOK TO THE FUTURE: Rassie rings the changes for Oz
|Published
LEADING THE TEAM: Bok captain Salmaan Moerat
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus made 10 changes to his team for Saturday’s Rugby Championship rematch against Australia in Perth.
The team, led by captain Salmaan Moerat, will be tasked to bag South Africa a first Wallabies tour whitewash in 71 years when they tackle Australia this weekend, after winning the first Test 33-7 in Brisbane.
With the likes of Siya Kolisi, Ben-Jason Dixon, Damian de Allende, Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cobus Reinach, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi and Willie le Roux all rested and Eben Etzebeth playing off the wood, Erasmus’ team selection certainly raised some eyebrows.
Moerat, who will captain the Boks for a second time after taking the field first against Portugal in July, will form a new lock partnership with run-on debutant Ruan Nortje.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has made a number of changes to his Springbok backline this weekend.
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 13, 2024
He talks us through the selections and picking Manie Libbok and Handre Pollard on the bench 🦵 pic.twitter.com/DYQbWDUyk8
Rookie scrumhalf Morne van den Berg also makes his starting debut after getting his first cap as a sub against Portugal, while fullback Aphelele Fassi, Makazole Mapimpi (wing), Lukhanyo Am (inside centre) and Marco van Staden (loose-forward) are also in the run-on XV.
The Boks will also sport a brand-new front row of props Thomas du Toit and Jan-Hendrik Wessels and hooker Johan Grobbelaar.
Erasmus, though, still expects his team to win, and says: “We are not planning to lose. It’s not something up in the air, we’ve picked a team that we think can win.”
“Our team still has 14 World Cup winners so, we did not pick a team to lose.”
The Springbok tight five that will face the Wallabies this weekend have a combined 30 test caps.
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 13, 2024
Coach Rassie Erasmus explains the selection and is confident with a bench full of experience 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/wxiAOnnr2P
Springboks:
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Chelsin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Moerat (capt), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Handré Pollard.
Ten changes and a new captain for the #Springboks second Test down under in Perth on Saturday - more here: https://t.co/Rk90MxlTSo 💥#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/nxSdvXOpDB
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 13, 2024