AUDIO: Italy hiccup affected Bok selection against Georgia
SPOTLIGHT: The hiccup the Springboks experienced in their first Test against Italy changed coach Rassie Erasmus’ selection plans for the rest of the July Tests quite significantly.
The Springboks got a rude awakening after losing momentum and focus in the second half of the first Test in Pretoria on their way to a 42-24 win over Italy.
Were it not for that, it would’ve been a different-looking team running out in Mbombela on Saturday.
After a 45-0 win over the Italians in the second Test, Erasmus told Rugby365 about his initial plans for the Georgia Test.
“There were always plans at the beginning of the year for the perfect scenario, but obviously things change,” the coach revealed.
“We would’ve loved, and I still feel a bit bad about that, but I’ll sort it out – in this specific game, we would’ve loved to give Renzo [du Plessis], Jaden and Jordan [Hendrikse], and Quan [Horn] a run.
“It was really part of the plans,” he stated, adding: “But unfortunately, with a little bit of a hiccup and momentum in that first Italy Test match, we had to rejig a little bit.
“I feel bad that we couldn’t stick to what we had planned.”
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The coach explained that the squad will be downsized for the Rugby Championship after this weekend, before they will look to mount a successful title defence against Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.
Erasmus has rotated the side quite a bit thus far this season, and some players will get a chance to shine and stake their claim for a place in the reduced squad that will be announced next week.
The challenge in the Rugby Championship means that Erasmus will settle on the core of his team in the two games against Australia, one in Johannesburg and the next in Cape Town.
It all builds up to the visit to Eden Park, where the Boks hope to break down a fortress that has proved to be impregnable for 31 years.
That means this is the last chance for players who want to be in the pound seats to impress the Bok coaches.
Earlier in the week, Erasmus sent 14 players home who were not part of the match-23 facing Georgia.
“Some of them will have next week off, and next Sunday we will get together with a group of around 36 for the Rugby Championship,” said the coach.
“The first legs are against Australia, so the guys who are left out of that will come back for the New Zealand tour.
“We are also managing the load of some of the older players, who may be involved in the first Australia matches and play only one or two All Black matches.
“We are trying to balance that we take it from Tier Two teams to Tier One teams to the best in the world, which will be New Zealand.
“Next week Tuesday, we will announce 36 players, it might be a number more or a number less.
“And then go and play those two Australian Test matches, regroup a little bit, maybe bolster the squad with some guys who got rest, or put some young blood into that.
“And then we are obviously going to the Greatest Rivalry on that side [New Zealand], and then we’ve got Argentina here, and the other one is Twickenham.
“That would be the focus for the next six weeks.
“We won’t actually build squad depth, we will make sure we’ve got fresh teams in every single Test match.
“Fresh, in shape, in form teams,” Erasmus concluded.
