Rassie's take on Nations Championship squad selection
REACTION: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus explained why he opted to back six uncapped players for the European leg of the Nations Championship in November.
Erasmus named former Junior Springboks Yaqeen Ahmed, Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller and 2025 Junior World Championship-winning captain Riley Norton alongside Emmanuel Tshituka and Sebastian de Klerk as the uncapped players for the tour.
Also read: Rassie backs victorious Junior Boks for Nations Championship
The Boks will kick off their Nations Championship campaign against Italy in Turin on November 7, followed by clashes against France (Paris) and Ireland (Dublin) before the finals weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham between November 27-29.
Erasmus said he has full faith in the newbies, having tasted first-class rugby at respective levels in their careers.
“We’ve had all six players on our radar for a while now, and they’ve delivered consistently for their respective franchises in the last two seasons, so they thoroughly deserve their call-ups,” Erasmus said on Wednesday.
“We’ve seen what most of them are capable of first-hand in our season-opening matches and at our training camps, so we are delighted to see what they have to offer on this tour.
“Building squad depth has always been one of our key pillars as a team, and all those players have shown that they have what it takes to compete at top franchise level, while Riley, Luan and Yaqeen were also part of Junior Springbok squads that have won the Junior World Championship, and Luan also played for the BlitzBoks, so they know what it takes to perform at top level.
“There is no doubt facing some of the top teams in elite international rugby will be a completely different challenge, but we have full faith in them to do their best on tour.”
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Many of these selections came down to the unavailability of key players due to injury: Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, Andre Esterhuizen and Handré Pollard are all currently sidelined.
Erasmus, however, sees the glass half full ahead of their gruelling playing schedule.
“It’s always sad to lose players of that calibre, but we are pleased with the cover we have in those positions, and it also offers other players the opportunity to put up their hands.
“The majority of the players in this group have been with us for most of the season and know what our expectations are, and also what to anticipate at this level, so we are excited about the group we’ve selected for this vital leg of the season,” Erasmus concluded.
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