'Time flew by quickly' as Bok star stalwart accepts 'security' role
SPOTLIGHT: Sunday will be a big day for one of the Springboks’ stalwarts, and the coaching team has highlighted his growth in the squad.
Jasper Wiese is set to win his 50th Test cap when he plays off the bench in the Test against the Wallabies in Perth.
The barnstorming loose forward made his debut for South Africa in 2021 and has since become a natural successor to Duane Vermeulen in that No.8 role.
Vermeulen, who is now a “SA Rugby Mobi-unit” coach, believes there is still a lot more to come from Wiese, who has been integral to the Boks’ success over the years.
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“It’s amazing,” said Vermeulen when asked for his thoughts on Wiese’s impending milestone.
“Time flew by quickly because he got it a lot faster than I did.
“He is a fantastic player and a really big stalwart in the team. He became one of the leaders in the core group in the last couple of years.
“He is your go-to guy if you want to go forward, and he’s really been playing well.
“It’s a fantastic achievement, and I’m looking forward to a helluva lot more that we can get from him.
“It’s a great milestone. There’s loads to come, and obviously I enjoyed the time when I played with him and now coaching him is also fun.”
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#SPOTLIGHT: Rassie addresses the Marco van Staden decision 👇#Australia #Wallabies #SouthAfrica #Springboks #AUSvRSA https://t.co/CnqcSF2QX5
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Meanwhile, Rassie Erasmus has made wholesale changes to his starting team for Sunday’s clash, and Wiese will be one of those players who will be introduced off the bench if things are not going according to plan for the Boks.
“We normally try and get a guy like him to start a game, but we feel that with the team that we’ve selected, maybe we get momentum early and things go well,” said Erasmus.
“Of course, we are playing Australia away from home. They have beaten Argentina, and they smashed Japan, and they are playing the Bledisloe right after us. I think they are in the middle of finding their form.
“We would’ve loved to start Jasper, but we feel we need some security on the bench.
“We are pretty sure that the guys who are starting will be energetic, and there might be some combination hiccups, so Wiese agreeing to play off the bench is a sign of the guy he is.
“He is actually talking more now than when he did in the past, and he has become a great leader in our team.
“Jasper was also a good option to be captain for a game like this, but we felt that he is a nice guy to correct things if it goes pear-shaped.
“We would’ve loved to start him, but he agreed that playing off the bench will be the best for us in this game.”
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