VIDEO: Bok coach backs his 'balancing act'
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber dismissed the suggestion that some players could struggle with travel fatigue, having to double up in the Pretoria and Auckland Tests.
Nienaber, speaking after he named the South African team to face the All Blacks at the Mount Smart Stadium in Round Two of the Rugby Championship this coming Saturday, said they looked at the bigger picture with their selections.
Five players who started in the 43-12 win over Australia at Loftus Versfeld this past Saturday will start again – fullback Willie le Roux, centre Lukhanyo Am, along with the entire front row of Frans Malherbe, Mbongeni Mbonambi and Steven Kitshoff.
Kitshoff was not meant to play in Pretoria and was scheduled to travel to New Zealand with the advanced party.
However, Retshegofaditswe Nché suffered a training ground chest injury and Kitshoff stayed behind to start at Loftus.
Damian Willemse, who played off the bench, will start at flyhalf – while Manie Libbok, who started in Pretoria, will play off the bench in Auckland.
Daniel Vermeulen, who captained the Boks at Loftus, is one of the replacements for the Mount Smart outing – as is Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, Rudolph Snyman and Grant Williams will again provide cover on the bomb squad bench.
The Bok coach reiterated that sending an advanced squad of players ahead to New Zealand, to acclimatise, was the right decision.
“We planned to select a squad with a few key combinations of players who are fully acclimatised and settled in, in New Zealand, while also selecting some players who started last week,” Nienaber said.
“We are pleased with the balance we were able to strike with this squad,” he added.
He said the benefit was that some players now have the benefit of having played in a physical contest.
(WATCH as Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber talks about the benefits of his selection balancing act…)
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“Some players get their first taste of international action this season, alongside a group of players who come off a physical clash against the Wallabies.
“We believe this will be beneficial against a top opponent in the All Blacks.”
He admitted there are ‘pros and cons’ in this system, but he feels it is in the best interest of the team.
“The fact that we can give a few other players in the bigger squad a run this weekend is fantastic,” Nienaber said, adding: “We want to give as many players as possible game time with an eye on doing well in the Rugby Championship and further ahead in the World Cup.
“If you look at the team that we selected, we’ve tried to get that balance right – a good blend between guys that are rested and well-adjusted, with some players who have had a proper hit-out.”
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