Wiese 'knocked the door down'
REACTION: Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber said No.8 Jasper Wiese forced his way into Friday’s matchday squad against Georgia after his performances in England.
Wiese, who plays for Leicester Tigers, is one of three debutants for the match. He will be playing off the bench, while Rosko Specman and Aphelele Fassi are the starting wings.
During an online media conference on Tuesday, Nienaber spoke about the newbies in the team and what they bring to the cause.
“In the Premiership, Jasper has been outstanding in terms of getting momentum and stopping momentum,” said Nienaber.
“He was one of the guys that really knocked the door down in terms of letting us take notice of his performances over there.”
On Specman, Nienaber said: “Rosko is a livewire and he brings a lot of energy. He is a real funny guy off the field.
“He always has a smile on his face, but when it comes down to the rugby side of things, he is the full professional.
“It is well-documented how successful he was while playing Sevens. He was part of that Olympic bronze medallist team [in 2016].
“He has played a lot of tournaments on the big stage.”
#⃣TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Three players will make their @Springboks debuts against @GeorgianRugby on Friday
♻An interesting mix for the series opener‼#Rugby 🌐#RugbyUnion🏉#RSAvGEO🇿🇦V🇬🇪#StrongerTogether 💪
🔗https://t.co/zlMmbREURe pic.twitter.com/hNEQ56juyp— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) June 29, 2021
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A very talented player
Nienaber explained that Fassi’s inclusion on the wing was a result of the disruptions in the Springbok camp, which was caused by three players who tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
“We selected the team on Saturday, but then obviously the Covid cases came out on Sunday and Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am were close contacts.
“We went into isolation immediately and that’s how a guy like Aphelele Fassi got into the mix.
“He trained with s in the conditioning weeks on the wing and we know he is a very talented player.
“He has got a massive skill set. I know that he plays predominantly at No.15 for his franchise [Sharks], but he slotted in on the wing beautifully and he will have the guidance of a guy like Willie [le Roux] around him.”
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Main photo: @Springboks
