VIDEO: Rassie can't solve Mostert poser

WATCH as Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus talks about his plans with his overseas-based players on the year-end tour and addresses the Franco Mostert conundrum.

Erasmus admitted that, even at this late hour, he is unsure about the status of Mostert – who is at the centre of a legal tug-of-war between the Golden Lions and Gloucester.

Even Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli was unable to clear up the confusion.

“There is a legal dispute [between the Lions and Gloucester],” Straeuli told rugby365 on Friday, when asked for clarity.

“More than that I can’t say,” he added.

The Lions boss pointed out that they have no beef with the player.

In fact, he trained with them before the Currie Cup semifinals and as he is still registered with the Lions till the end of the month, Mostert was available to train with the Boks in Stellenbosch this week.

However, Erasmus said the uncertainty surrounding the lock’s status resulted in them not inviting him to train with the Boks.

Erasmus said for most of the players it is “pretty simple”.

The encounter with England next Saturday is the one game that falls outside the international window, but for all the other matches the players – if selected – must arrive in camp on the Sunday night before the Tests.

“We can, at any time, say we want this or that player,” the Bok coach said.

“However, there is a human factor, there are families involved, there are [the] futures [of the players] involved.

“You don’t want to ruin things just because you are stubborn and enforcing Regulation Nine.”

Erasmus said they have a great understanding with the clubs.

“The only player that I can’t give you a straight-up answer is Franco Mostert,” the Bok coach said.

“If he is currently a Gloucester player, we won’t be able to use him for the England game, and if he is a Lions player we will be.

“That is the only reason why I haven’t named him in the squad thus far, because I don’t have clarity on that yet .”

Erasmus said some of the Euro-based players will definitely play in the last three Tests on tour.

This will include players like Gio Aplon (Grenoble, France), Willie le Roux (Wasps, England), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), Francois de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), Francois Louw (Bath, England) and Vincent Koch (Saracens, England).

The Springboks wrapped up preparations for their year-end tour with an early morning training session in Stellenbosch on Friday, with Erasmus declaring the camp a “success”.

Erasmus said his coaching and conditioning staff tried to simulate high-intensity, match-like conditions during training – because they will have to hit the ground running when they face England at Twickenham.

“Looking back at the week’s training here in Stellenbosch, I’m glad to say that the objectives of the camp have been met,” Erasmus.

“I think the challenge for us this week was to make sure the players reach match intensity, because you cannot just pitch up next week against England and think that after [a break of ] two weeks you’re going to be able to reach that level of match intensity.

“We tried to simulate match intensity while we also worked on many tactical things which we think England will bring to the match, and which are totally different from what we faced against New Zealand.”

It is with match readiness and intensity in mind that Erasmus, therefore, thinks it is a very good thing for some of the players, who are in the line for Springbok selection, to be playing in the Currie Cup final between Western Province and the Sharks in Cape Town.

“I think it’s awesome and if it was logistically possible I would actually have preferred for more of the Springboks to be playing in the Currie Cup,” said Erasmus.

“I would rather run the risk of injuries and knowing the guys played the previous week – there is a fine line between underplayed and overplayed.

“Sometimes a two-week break is perhaps not the right thing before a long tour where you will be playing against teams who are in the middle of their season.”

The final Springbok tour squad will be named on Saturday.

By Jan de Koning, in Stellenbosch
@king365ed
@rugby365com