Bok lock will not face England
NOVEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed that Franco Mostert will not be considered for the match at Twickenham, which is the fourth meeting this year between the two countries.
Mostert has been at the centre of a legal tug-of-war between the Golden Lions and English club Gloucester.
“It is such a touchy thing at this stage,” Erasmus told reporters in London on Monday.
“We just decided not to involve him for this weekend, so that he can settle at his new club [Gloucester]. I think if went into the detail, we could have selected him, but it is not worth going into that.”
Regarding possible replacements for Mostert, Erasmus said there are a lot of very good options in the second row.
“Franco is a great player and he has started most of the Tests for us this year, and he will be missed,” said Erasmus.
“We are fortunate that we have someone such as Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has a lot of experience playing there, while Lood de Jager is fit again and RG Snyman is also in the squad. So we have some options to fill that position.”
European-based Springboks Willie le Roux, Faf de Klerk, Francois Louw and Cheslin Kolbe will also not be considered for selection for the match because it falls outside of the international window.
“None of the players who play in the Premiership are available, and neither are the players who play their club rugby in France,” Erasmus confirmed.
Erasmus said the Test at Twickenham will offer his players a thorough examination: “Playing against England, under pressure in a full stadium, will be a new experience for some of the players and it will provide me with some good answers.
“The English are good and physical, they are strong in the mauls and set phases, as well as on defence. They can vary their game and that’s the biggest lesson we learnt from our defeat in Cape Town in June,” said Erasmus.
The South Africans started their on-field preparations on Monday at the Latymer Upper School, where they will practise until Thursday. Erasmus will announce his match 23 for the England game on Thursday.
