Boks don't have enough depth yet
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: With a tough travelling schedule to contend with, Bok coach Rassie Erasmus entertained the idea of splitting his squad into two teams for this year’s Rugby Championship.
However, with a few players still struggling with injuries Erasmus will not have the luxury to do so.
The Boks start their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina in Durban next weekend before flying to Mendoza for the return match. After a break, they travel to Australia to face the Wallabies in Brisbane and a week later they come up against the All Blacks in Wellington.
After another break, they finish their campaign against Australia and New Zealand in South Africa.
“With the injuries we have, I don’t think we are or position where we can really do that [split the squad]. We currently have six or seven crucial injuries, so we don’t have the luxury of picking two equally strong teams.
“Also, if you look at the number of caps we have it might be just too much of a risk to do things like that.
“You don’t want to go to Australia and get hammered, you want to try and beat Australia.
“So the only thing I was trying to explain is the fact that when you play Argentina home and away and you come back and then fly to Australia and then travel New Zealand, you travelled around the world and now you must perform against the world’s best team, who are sitting waiting for you as fresh as a daisy.”
With the World Cup only a year away, Erasmus is constantly thinking of ways to “manage the players’ workload”.
“It would have been ideal to send a few boys, not even a whole team, straight to New Zealand and maybe have the core of your team nice and fresh, but I don’t think at this stage we have that luxury just because of injuries,” he added.
@rugby365com
