Rassie’s 101: Why the Boks swapped their front row, then swapped back
SPOTLIGHT: Rassie Erasmus has revealed that the Springboks’ controversial last-minute front-row change before the second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town was driven entirely by the weather.
The Bok coach raised eyebrows when he swapped his starting front row just an hour before kick-off in Cape Town, replacing the originally named trio of Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw with Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit.
This week he is back to the original threesome he picked for the second test.
Erasmus insisted there was nothing unusual about the late change.
“An hour before the match you can hand in your team sheet. If those players are in your 23, you can swap the whole bench around and start the other guys. That’s not against the laws of the game.”
Weather dictated the decision
Erasmus revealed the decision came down to one factor: the expected weather conditions in Cape Town.
“In all honesty, we thought it was going to be a really wet game, and I’m serious about that,” Erasmus said.
“There is no doubt that heavier guys scrum better on heavier fields, while lighter guys prefer harder fields.”
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He explained that the original starting front row of Fourie, Steenekamp and Du Toit was chosen because they were considered better suited to a dry, firm pitch.
“Thomas isn’t one of the smallest guys around, but Gerhard and Deon are a little less bulky than Ox and Wilco.
“We thought we’d get to the pitch, look at the weather and see how wet it really was. When we got there, it was dry, hard and firm.
“That is why we picked that front row.”
For the third Test, Erasmus has flipped the selection back the other way.
“This week we’re going to do it the other way around.
“Gerhard, Thomas and Deon have played massive games for us, and at the same time they know how to deal with pressure.”
Continuity now the priority
After rotating heavily during the opening weeks of the season, Erasmus said the series situation has changed the Springboks’ selection approach.
“We always have the World Cup in mind,” he said.
“In the first couple of games we really tested some guys, got to know them on and off the field, in training and in matches, and allowed them to get comfortable in the environment.”
But with the series level at 1-1, Erasmus believes consistency is more important than experimentation.
“This is a series you have to win. We lost the first game and won the second game, so we thought continuity would be the best thing for one of the most important games of the series.
“This Saturday doesn’t win the series, but it can certainly determine whether you’re playing for a draw or a series win in the last match.”
