Why Moodie got the nod over Kriel
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus sheds light on youngster Canan Moodie’s selection ahead of veteran Jesse Kriel.
The Boks resume their Rugby Championship campaign at Kings Park this weekend against Los Pumas.
Kriel’s last outing in a Bok jersey came in the 17-24 loss to New Zealand at Eden Park three weeks ago, but Erasmus confirmed that the veteran No.13 hasn’t been discarded.
Erasmus clarified why Moodie got the nod over Kriel and hinted that another Bok centre could soon be back in the picture as well.
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“Earlier this season, we also had Damain [de Allende] and Canan [Moodie] together [as a centre combination].
“But remember, Damian and Lukhanyo [Am] were a [centre] combination at one stage.
“Lukhanyo is coming back with the United Rugby Championship starting again, so he’s in the mix in a week or so.
“Canan and Andre [Esterhuizen] are a great combo, and we enjoy Andre off the bench.
“If you look at the changes we made, it’s mostly injury-enforced.
“We felt that Canan playing closer to the ball makes a few more instinctive calls as opposed to standing on the wing and working with the fullback.
“Just like Damian [Willemse], he is a good instinctive player.
“And now to have Damian de Allende come in whilst Andre Esterhuizen is missing out [on starting].
“But Jesse [Kriel] will play for us a lot more in future. It’s just nice to try the combinations.”
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Erasmus also elaborated on the rest of his team selection to face Argentina at Kings Park on Saturday.
The Bok boss kept the bulk of the starting outfit that thrashed New Zealand by 43-10 in Wellington a fortnight ago.
Damian de Allende and Eben Etzebeth return to the side, with Damian Willemse shifting to fullback after starting at No.12 against New Zealand.
For both teams, this is a must-win clash to keep their Rugby Championship title hopes alive heading into the final round of the tournament next week.
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“The team we selected were definitely with Argentina in mind to try and win this game.
“They’re speedy and bouncy. Lucio [Cinti] is a sevens player, and they have dangerous players such as [Santiago] Chocobares and [Tomas] Albornoz, who is back.
“The rest of their backline is pacy and experienced. They’ve got a well-balanced team.
“So we thought this team we selected, not just from a continuity point against New Zealand and irrespective of whether we would’ve lost and despite the injuries, [would get the job done]
“We deliberated whether we should select Sous [Franco Mostert] in this game or not.
“We just felt that the youth Argentina have, their willingness to play from deep and their [great] aerial skills are very similar to how we played at one stage.
“They also boast some cutting-edge speed with all their sevens players, so in a nutshell, this team was selected to try and beat Argentina.”
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