Rassie hints at position shift for Malcolm Marx
SPOTLIGHT: Rassie Erasmus is no stranger to tinkering with his matchday squads to get the best out of his players in different situations.
It’s no different for the Springboks’ upcoming match against the Wallabies in Perth, where Erasmus has made a number of changes after a demanding Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.
The Bok boss has put his faith in a front row consisting of Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar and Zach Porthen for Sunday’s clash, with veterans like Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche and Wilco Louw.
There is some versatility among those players, with Wessels’ ability to switch from prop to hooker later in the match.
Meanwhile, Erasmus has hinted that Marx, the world’s best hooker, could be used in the back row when he comes off the bench.
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“Jan-Hendrik can play No.1 and No.2 for you, so in this specific game we feel we are giving him a chance,” said Erasmus.
“Grobbies has always been solid for us.
“After Deon [Fourie] played so well in the Stormers game against the All Blacks, we felt he could bring a helluva lot to the team in terms of knowledge, character and leadership, and he certainly did.
“However, with him playing three Test matches in a row at the age of 39, Grobbies deserves a chance now.”
On the impact off the bench, Erasmus added: “Even later in the game if Ox comes in, Jan-Hendrik might move to hooker, and we have been trying Malcolm on the flank a little bit.”
These alterations to Rassie’s matchday squad serve a bigger purpose.
“We are trying to save the bodies and manage the guys well while winning and building some squad depth and getting some caps into certain guys where we feel we are going to need it at the World Cup,” Erasmus explained.
“So, it’s a combination of things.”
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