RUGBY NEWS - Rassie Erasmus has his eyes firmly on the future with the relatively youthful team he has named to take on Italy in their end-of-year-tour match in Turin on Saturday (kick-off 14:40).
Captain Siya Kolisi (34), Franco Mostert (34), Jean Kleyn (32), Handré Pollard (31) and Marco van Staden (30) are the only players in the starting 15 over 30, while on the bench it is only Kwagga Smith (32), Wilco Louw (31), and RG Snyman (30).
Everyone else in the match 23 are in their 20s, including youngsters like Zachary Porthen (21), Ethan Hooker (22) and Canan Moodie (23).
Inexperienced squad
It is thus quite an inexperienced match-day squad that will go into battle, including in the front row where Boan Venter (28), Johan Grobbelaar (27) and Porthen only share 12 caps between them, but Bok coach Erasmus has faith they can do the job.
“When you lose Ox (Nche), and Ntuks (Nthuthuko Mchunu) hasn’t played a lot of rugby, and you’ve lost Jan-Hendrik (Wessels) it leaves us a bit light. We are definitely saving Thomas (du Toit) for Ireland, especially since he won’t be available for Wales with that game outside the window,” explained Erasmus.
“So Boan now has six caps and we feel he has been doing pretty well. Grobbies (Grobbelaar) is on five and he did really well when he came on (against France), even though it was just for five minutes. And Zach (Porthen) has only played one game for us.
“But on the bench we have nice security in two props, Gerhard (Steenekamp) and Wilco, who have played together a lot (for the Bulls).”
Exciting midfield
The midfield is also an inexperienced, but exciting one, with Hooker and Moodie teaming up for the first time, while they are also surrounded by a number of younger players.
“If you ask Ethan what his favourite position is he will say 12. If you ask Canan he will say 13. With Canan we feel he has done great things at 13 and deserves another chance. Ethan has played on the wing and 13 for us, even though his preferred position is 12,” said Erasmus.
“So with Damian (de Allende) and Jesse (Kriel) coming off that really physical battle against France, we felt this was a good opportunity to rest them and give the youngsters a run.”
Erasmus continued about the young players in his matchday squad: “Morné (van den Berg) is 28, Handré 31, Ethan 22 and Canan 23.
“Kurt-Lee (Arendse) and Edwill (van der Merwe) are both 29 and Gazza (Damian Willemse) is 27. Grant (Williams) is 29 and Manie (Libbok) 28 … so most of the guys in our (starting) backline and on the bench are relatively young, but we feel they can do the job.”
Photo: Springboks | Facebook
Springbok team to face Italy:
Damian Willemse, Edwill van der Merwe, Canan Moodie, Ethan Hooker, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handre Pollard, Morne van den Berg, Marco van Staden, Ben-Jason Dixon, Siya Kolisi (capt), Franco Mostert, Jean Kleyn, Zachary Porthen, Johan Grobbelaar, Boan Venter. Bench: Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Andre Esterhuizen, Kwagga Smith, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok
Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen
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