Why Rassie 'rolled the dice'
South Africa may be a touch ‘ring rusty’ when they tackle Australia in a one-off Test in Perth on Sunday.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has acknowledged the possibility of a lack of sharpness in the early stages against the Wallabies.
This is partly due to his decision to rest some veteran players while providing opportunities for others, which significantly influenced his team selection.
After a demanding four-Test series against the All Blacks, which marked one of rugby’s greatest rivalries, Erasmus has opted for a substantial rotation of his squad.
With many key players heavily utilised during that series, several others on the team had minimal game time, raising concerns about their readiness.
Erasmus expressed that he did not want to jeopardise the gains made during the rivalry series by rotating the squad as he had during the Nations Championship in July.
(WATCH as Rassie Erasmus explains why he ‘rolled the dice’ with his team selection, as they head into the one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth…..)
“We are frequently asked whether we are building towards the World Cup or focusing on victories between World Cups.
“Our aim is to do both.
“Sometimes you have to roll the dice.”
He acknowledged that maintaining the same line-up against New Zealand for four consecutive weeks was a calculated decision, but he is not viewing these changes as a gamble or a potential excuse.
Instead, he is intentionally leveraging the high-pressure environment of playing away in Australia to assess how these new players manage the intensity.
Erasmus reflected on a previous experience when nine players entered the match against Argentina without recent competition, resulting in a disjointed game in Buenos Aires.
He remarked: “I don’t anticipate them to be at their best right from the start.
“They have been on the sidelines for a while, but they are eager to take the field.
“Hopefully, we won’t struggle too much at the outset.
“It’s worth noting that Australia hasn’t been in action continuously over the past few weeks.”
Making 13 adjustments to a starting line-up that had recently secured a hard-fought victory against the All Blacks raised concerns about the inherent risks involved.
For Erasmus, however, this was a strategic and necessary decision.
He has consistently emphasised his intention to cultivate a world-class team by leveraging a roster of approximately 40 players.
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