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Did Rassie Erasmus miss a trick with his latest South Africa squad?
Rassie Erasmus’ latest Springboks squad selection serves as evidence of two important truths in elite sport: nothing comes easy at the top and winning makes the wheels go round.
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The group picked to take on Scotland, England and Wales next month is stacked with familiar faces. Of the 34 players assembled, 29 are World Cup winners. Prop Gerhard Steenkamp, the versatile Jan-Hendrik Wessels, loose forward Elrigh Louw and fullback Aphele Fassi are the only members who do not have a golden medal or two stacked away at home.
They’ll be desperate for a piece of that glory. They’ll be acutely aware that they have fought their way into a very exclusive club. This Springboks outfit is a winning machine, a juggernaut that has mostly stayed intact for eight years despite so much talent and heft pushing at the gates.
Monikers like ‘golden generation’ can be overused, but it is undeniable that South African rugby is currently sitting on top of a deep mine bursting with Test-quality players. Their depth is insane. Serious people are asking with straight faces if South Africa’s second team could win the Rugby Championship in place of the regulars.
That’s just silly banter, right? Well perhaps if Siya Masuku got enough front foot ball, and if Cameron Hanekom had enough room to roam, and if that side was bolstered by some injured players like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Jean Kleyn, and if some squad members like Andre Esterhuizen and Thomas du Toit could also get involved, then maybe? Possibly?
Of course, we don’t really know. And therein lies the danger of Erasmus’ insistence on consistency. Appearance records for individuals and combinations on the pitch feel like they’re being broken every other week but several players have only an outside chance of reaching the next World Cup. And whether or not it’s uncouth to say it, the global showpiece really is the one thing that matters most of all.
Which is why some selections for a European tour that does not include Ireland or France feel a little off. Cobus Reinach, Willie le Roux and Makazole Mapimpi are still performing, but could at least one of them have made way for someone new?
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Was there no room for a young hooker? On SA Rugby’s press release, Wessels is listed as a ‘Utility Forward’. He’ll likely get a shot in the front row but there’s something about backing a player in a manner that says, ‘You’re the next cab off the rank. Here’s a jersey with a specific number on it. Go make it your own.”
No doubt Erasmus knows what he’s doing. That’s what sustained success gets you. You can make just about any decision and it’ll likely get something close to unanimous support.
Which only amplifies the argument that some experimentation would have been well received. A look at another centre could have been interesting. So too would a tweak to the back row that could have seen an inexperienced rookie learn on the job alongside a couple of legends. A look to the future was on offer for Erasmus but he turned it down. This was a misstep.
Because let’s face it, apart from the game against England, which is a job that does require the veterans, the absence of the continent’s top two teams means the Boks should have ample firepower to take care of Scotland and Wales.
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Scotland are a quality team, full of dash and daring and sharp edges from front to back. Wales, for all their recent woes, still front up and have a smattering of individuals – especially in the back row – capable of challenging for places in better teams. But let’s be real. If either side runs South Africa close it would constitute a shock.
Then again, the Springboks haven’t made a clean sweep of Europe since 2013. And what does Erasmus, a man who already has most of what’s available, still need to complete his set? An unblemished tour would look nice alongside all his other trinkets.
That doesn’t mean some questions don’t need answering. There’s a good chance this is the final run for a few warhorses. Erasmus might want one look at Lukhanyo Am at 12, or see if there’s room for Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse in the same backline. Can Handre Pollard have a multi-phase attack plan? Does Manie Libbok have the minerals to be trusted when a game is on the line?
There are other structural questions that need addressing. At times during the Rugby Championship the vaunted rush defence was off-key, as if members of the band were playing different tracks all at once. If this isn’t fixed, some clever coach is going to put together a plan that can truly hurt the Boks.
The breakdown could also do with a clean-up. New Zealand’s early ascendency in consecutive Tests was wrought through a simple approach. They clattered the South African ruck and isolated ball carriers. Were it not for the All Black’s inferior bench, we might be having an entirely different conversation about a team looking to cement its status as the world’s best.
Because that is what South Africa are right now. World Rugby’s rankings are calculated with unthinking maths, but anyone who understands this game knows that South Africa are the current kings of the oval ball. That’s not cheerleading. That’s not trumpeting the party line. It’s just how it is.
Previous iterations have blown hot and cold during the troughs between World Cups. Has Erasmus – a master at turning perceived slights into points to prove – identified that this is an opportunity to really ram home his team’s supremacy?
If so then his selections make total sense. Win now, win well, dominate, leave no doubts, silence dissent. For a team emboldened by a sense of mission, maintaining a dynasty can be a powerful motivator.
But then the stakes only get higher. There are no excuses. South Africa will traverse the United Kingdom with one single goal. Nothing other than perfection will be accepted.
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I don't understand the point of this article. Rassie has used 50+ players so far this year and blooded plenty. No one can accuse him of being conservative in his selections.
Having grown 3-deep+ players in each position who are high quality, surely he can now select who he wants and needs to achieve his goals.
I, for one, am very happy that he went for the best players for this tour.
I think there has been enough experimentation this year.
Great Bok squad!
At least 4 new players SHOULD have gone. A massive trick missed, it's not as though we're defending a WC. It's the EOYT, perfect time to blood youngsters. A disappointing squad.
I disagree. Next year the Boks will have three tests at home against Italy and Georgia to blood more new players. I think there's a lot of sense in Rassie wanting to maintain winning momentum in tough battles in tough conditions against good opposition now.
Yea not what we expected but a strong squad anyway. Maybe some new blood will get a chance next year against Italy and then during the Rc.