Springboks Boss Erasmus Names Rugby Championship Squad

Key Selections Emerge After Mid-Year Experimentation

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus is set to reveal his squad for the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship this Tuesday, signalling a shift towards greater squad consistency after extensive player and rule trials.

Squad Deep Dive Expected

The South African side showcased significant player depth during their June internationals, utilising 48 different players. However, following these experiments, the upcoming Rugby Championship squad is expected to be more settled.

“The Rugby Championship is a step up from Tier Two nations like Georgia, the Barbarians and the Italy matches.”

—Rassie Erasmus, Springboks Coach

A total of 36 players will be included in the main squad, with an additional nine on injury standby.

Erasmus Reflects on Georgia Performance

Despite a convincing win against Georgia, Erasmus expressed that the team’s performance could have been stronger. He acknowledged Georgia’s physicality and disruptive tactics, noting that his players struggled to maintain consistency for the full 80 minutes.

“We are fairly happy. It could’ve been better. What we expected from them was physicality and disruption, and we certainly got that. But I don’t think it was a performance over the full 80 minutes from us. There were a lot of guys who made a lot of errors because of how Georgia played – and I don’t mean that in a negative way. They disrupt very well.”

Backline Battles and Fly-Half Prospects

New faces may feature in the backline, with wingers Edwill van der Merwe challenging established stars like Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe. In the midfield, Canan Moodie is set to contend with Jesse Kriel for a starting spot.

The halfback position appears to be a strong area, with Grant Williams considered the frontrunner. Faf de Klerk also showed signs of returning to top form when he came off the bench.

Regarding first five-eighths, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu‘s performance, despite a hip pointer injury, did not overly concern Erasmus. He highlighted the availability of Manie Libbok and the solid display from Handre Pollard.

“We like fly-halves who try things on the field, not just play safely in their little box. And he certainly wasn’t one of the guys who made the most errors today. Georgia thrives on spoiling and disrupting, and a lot of guys struggled with that.”

—Rassie Erasmus, Springboks Coach

“I’m not frustrated with Sacha – it’s only his second start for us this year. He’s still young compared to our other fly-halves.”

—Rassie Erasmus, Springboks Coach

Forward Pack Strength

In the loose forward department, Kwagga Smith and Pieter-Steph du Toit continue to lead. The lock position has also seen increased depth with the emergence of Ruan Nortje as a quality player.

The Springboks’ ability to compete across multiple facets of the game is crucial, especially as they prepare for tougher opposition. In 2023, South Africa averaged 35.5 points per game in international rugby, demonstrating their attacking prowess (ESPN).