RUGBY NEWS - There have been calls for Springbok coach Allister Coetzee to make wholesale changes for his team’s final match of the year against Wales but any move to experiment now would be a week too late.
If last week’s solid win against Italy is to be given any relevance, and the selections for the Padova game to make sense, then the Bok coach needs to stick as close as possible to the team that did duty then for Saturday’s clash at the Milllennium Stadium in Cardiff.
That match was about building momentum for the Cardiff game, and that was why Coetzee stuck with what he considered to be his best team even though there was a big media clamour for him to experiment and blood new players.
There will be changes brought about by the calls made on overseas based players by their club sides. The Boks will lose experience through the absence of players such as Duane Vermeulen and Francois Louw. But while that will mean a back row rejig, with Siya Kolisi returning from paternity leave to at least partially counter-balance the loss of stability in the loose trio, there shouldn’t be too many changes elsewhere in the starting team.
Bok assistant coach Matt Proudfoot hinted at the start of the week that they might go with Dan du Preez at No 8 with Uzair Cassiem at blindside flank, but dropping Pieter-Steph du Toit from the starting team wouldn’t make much sense and would go completely against the continuity mantra that the coach pays so much heed to.
There have been suggestions from media people back home that Du Toit should move back to lock to cover for the non-availability of Japan based Franco Mostert, but Sharks Currie Cup captain Ruan Botha is in Cardiff and is understood to be chomping at the bit to get a chance to play off the bench.
Du Toit has shown glimpses of ability as a No 7 flank and should be persisted with, particularly as he and Kolisi have played together before and that brings some needed continuity to the loose trio that would otherwise lack it.
Reports from Cardiff indicate that Warrick Gelant, chosen as a specialist fullback for this tour, might get his first start as a wing. There is reason to debate whether he shouldn’t rather play his preferred position, but incumbent No 15 Andries Coetzee is highly rated by the coaching staff, some of whom reckon that he may be a late bloomer like Andre Joubert was.
