'Boks can win World Cup with 15 injuries'
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Whether the Springboks have 15 injuries, they will still win next year’s World Cup, according to Steven Kitshoff.
South Africa suffered a 38-42 defeat against Australia on Sunday in Perth.
The side were sporting 13 changes from the XV that started the final Test against the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
#SPOTLIGHT: Rassie Erasmus: ‘We might strike them in a vital play-off game’ 👇#Australia #Wallabies #SouthAfrica #Springboks #AUSvRSA https://t.co/N6zHnEFmq6
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While they were not in their best form, the World Champions almost overturned a 42-17 second-half deficit in the final 15 minutes in Perth, coming within a whisker of snatching victory with the final play of the match.
The second-half comeback was aided by a host of regular Springboks on the bench. The starting XV was not loaded with experienced players, with only Handre Pollard, Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert having over 50 caps to their names.
Following the result, former Springbok Oupa Mohoje, joining Kitshoff on his For the Love of Rugby: South Africa podcast, said that Rassie Erasmus has learned that he has “potentially two World Cup squads.”
“I don’t think I’d panic. Look, Rassie has potentially two World Cup squads,” the former Springbok flanker said.
“So, if I was Rassie, I really wouldn’t panic. It would just be to make sure that the players get used to and understand Test match rugby and take it for what it is and then work on from there.”
Kitshoff went a step further and claimed that Erasmus could lose 15 players and still defend the Webb Ellis Cup for an unprecedented third title.
“Also giving the guys the opportunity to catch up to the, I don’t want to say the solid starting 15, the ones we saw in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, but also giving these guys opportunities to play more often gives them the opportunity to catch up and to say, listen, it doesn’t really matter what happens, we can have 15 injuries going into the World Cup, we’ve got a strong enough squad to actually do it again.
“I think that’s a very strong position to be because we’ll probably see a lot of these guys play again towards the Nations Championship, which is amazing.”
Catch up on the full match replay of the Wallabies vs Springboks Test from Perth!
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