Springboks changes not disrespectful to Australia, says Rassie Erasmus
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South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus watches his players warm up before the Rugby Championship match against Australia.
PHOTO: AFP
PERTH – South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus insisted that his decision to make 10 changes to the side who thrashed Australia in their Rugby Championship opener was not a sign of disrespect, ahead of the second Test against Joe Schmidt’s men in Perth on Aug 17.
World Cup winners South Africa cruised to a 33-7 win over the Wallabies in Brisbane last weekend and have rested several of their established names, as Erasmus gives more experience to his wider group.
“If you look at this team, there are 14 World Cup winners and there’s only two guys that are new caps, so this is not disrespect to Australia and this is not us feeling nonchalant about the game,” the Springboks coach said.
“This is us picking a team that we feel is good enough to still get us the win, although it will be really, really tough against a team that wants to bounce back.”
Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Elrigh Louw and Pieter-Steph du Toit are the only survivors in the starting line-up from the side who won in Brisbane with captain Siya Kolisi among those rested.
Salmaan Moerat will take over as skipper, while World Cup winners Eben Etzebeth, Malcolm Marx, Handre Pollard, Manie Libbok, Vincent Koch, Ox Nche and Kwagga Smith were named among the reserves as Erasmus begins to look towards the Springboks’ world title defence in Australia in 2027.
The rotation of players also allows Erasmus to rest some key individuals ahead of the subsequent four Rugby Championship Tests against New Zealand and Argentina.
“It’s important to win the Rugby Championship and it’s important to build into the next World Cup and it will be fantastic to win the Rugby Championship,” he added.
“I think it would be a slap in the face of the guys who’s playing this weekend if we think they’re not as good as the guys playing last weekend. We trust them fully.
“I think if they played the team last weekend, the Springbok team, they would give them a hell of a go. It wasn’t easy but we trust everybody.” REUTERS, AFP
