Springbok prop Thomas “The Tank” du Toit wants to repay coach Rassie Erasmus for his faith in all the members of the squad by winning the Rugby Championship tomorrow night.
Unbeaten log leaders South Africa, on 18 points, tackle second-placed title-contenders Argentina (10 points) at 11pm in Santiago del Estero.
The Boks are three log points away from winning the southern hemisphere crown for the first time since 2019 and can even afford to go down tomorrow night, with another shot at winning the title against the Pumas next week.
With not much to lose, Erasmus made 10 changes to the team with Du Toit one of the returnees to the starting lineup, having last played almost six weeks ago (August 17) when SA klapped Australia 30-12 in Oz.
Waiting that long to get a crack would frustrate most players but “not us”, says tighthead Du Toit of the Boks’ trust in Erasmus’s plan of building squad depth.
He says how klapping Los Pumas tomorrow night will repay their faith: “The reality is we more than ever feel like the trust is really there…
“We trust the fact that we are building a squad – it’s not just words it is actually, being put into action. But on the flipside of the coin, there is a big responsibility on those guys that he [Erasmus] is trusting.
“So there is a good balance of feeling that we are being trusted but also knowing there is a big responsibility that lies ahead for us.”
With captain Siya Kolisi also sitting in the coach’s box tomorrow, Du Toit adds: “I think the coaches will get some insight to what the players will be feeling with Siya there...”
Thomas du Toit: “It’s going to be a proper battle” - more here: https://t.co/zQo6do5KI9 ⚠#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/JXJQFHDu8W
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 19, 2024