Rassie hits selection sweet spot ahead of RGR3

OPINION: Rassie Erasmus has selected his most settled and battle-ready matchday 23 ahead of the must-win clash against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium.

Erasmus has kept everyone guessing with regards to his team announcements and matchday selections in recent weeks.

In the lead-up to the first Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks, the Bok coach announced his team on the preceding Thursday, before naming his matchday squad for the second Test on the following Monday.

Shortly before kick-off at the Cape Town Stadium, SA Rugby confirmed that the starting and finishing front rows had been switched.

Afterwards, Erasmus brushed aside suggestions that the late changes were against the laws as well as the spirit of the game.

He explained that the dry conditions on matchday had influenced what amounted to a sound tactical decision.

There were more fun and games on Monday, when the matchday squad for the third Test was announced in an “old school” manner.

A printout was handed to the media attending the press conference at the team hotel in Johannesburg, while the team announcement on SA Rugby’s digital channels was delayed.

The original printout listed Pieter-Steph du Toit as captain even though Siya Kolisi had been named at No.6.

Someone had crossed out the title next to Du Toit’s name and handwritten “captain” next to Kolisi’s.

Erasmus did little to ease the confusion when he confirmed that there may be further changes on Saturday.

Rain is expected, and Erasmus suggested that the starting line-up may only be finalised once the team arrives at the ground to assess the conditions.

At the very least, Erasmus looks set to stick with this matchday squad – barring further injuries.

It was interesting to hear the Bok coach talk about his player management plans ahead of the fourth and final Test of the series, which will be staged in Baltimore.

Erasmus confirmed that Damian Willemse (hamstring) and Handré Pollard (calf) are on the mend, and will travel with the squad to the United States on Sunday, along with Canan Moodie.

The Bok coach has used 30 players in this series to date – a figure that takes the selections for the third Test into account.

He expects to use as many as 36 before the final whistle is blown in Baltimore.

While it remains to be seen who will start at the FNB Stadium and who will finish, there’s reason to believe that this particular group of 23 will deliver the Boks’ strongest performance of the three-Test block in South Africa.

By contrast, the All Blacks may struggle to find another gear in what is their seventh match of the tour.

Kurt-Lee Arendse has come in for the injured Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe has shifted to fullback.

While there are other specialists such as Aphelele Fassi and Quan Horn in the wider squad, the Kolbe selection makes a lot of sense for this fixture.

Kolbe has taken over the goal-kicking duties since Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu broke down with a serious ankle injury earlier this season, and has maintained a 100% record across the first two Tests against the All Blacks.

The veteran will take on further responsibility this Saturday, as fullback is a crucial decision-making position in the Bok system.

Having been at the coalface in recent weeks, and having had the opportunity to strengthen his partnership with other game-drivers like Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok, Kolbe is very much in the saddle.

The same could be said of other players who’ve been asked to push on for the third-consecutive Test.

On Monday, Erasmus reiterated how important player management is going to be in the third and fourth Tests, and how both teams are running the risk of burnout.

At a glance, it may seem like Erasmus is persisting with a very similar match 23 that featured at Ellis Park and Cape Town Stadium.

But it’s worth noting how much game time – or how little – some of these Boks have enjoyed in recent months.

In the buildup to the Greatest Rivalry series, some critics and commentators suggested that the Boks were heading into the Tests against the All Blacks severely undercooked.

Pieter-Steph du Toit didn’t play any club rugby this past season due to injury, while Eben Etzebeth and Kolisi were also sidelined for extended periods.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Lood de Jager, Ox Nché and Deon Fourie went into the Greatest Rivalry series short of a gallop – and Fourie’s monumental performance for the Stormers against the All Blacks marked his competitive match in several months.

Fast forward to the present, where the individuals above have been put through the wringer in two brutal clashes against the All Blacks.

It’s been clear how players such as Kolisi, Du Toit, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and others have grown sharper as the campaign has progressed – and they may be primed to peak in the third and fourth Greatest Rivalry Tests.

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On Monday, Erasmus gave the impression that the Boks will hold nothing back this Saturday.

While the team will need to be managed carefully over the next two weeks, they are desperate to get the job done at Soccer City and head to Baltimore with a 2-1 advantage.

Willemse, Pollard, Moodie and others may come back into the mix next week, and replace any injured or fatigued players.

There’s a slim chance that the Boks will dominate the All Blacks in the first 60 minutes this Saturday, and that Erasmus will have the luxury of pulling several key starters and saving them for the next task in Baltimore.

That said, the All Blacks have been the stronger team in the second half across the series, and Erasmus may do better to ensure that his best combination finishes the Test this Saturday.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Nché, Malcolm Marx, Wilco Louw and a few others finishing rather than starting the game at FNB Stadium.

In that event, the Boks will finish the game with their strongest combination and have the best chance of denying the All Blacks a crucial victory.

It would also ensure that South Africa’s best players are suitably managed – in terms of game minutes – before the fourth Test.

Whatever the case, the Boks are in a good space with regards to match fitness, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see them going one better on Saturday to deliver their most convincing performance of the series.