Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Rassie Erasmus continues mind games by predicting England XV to face South Africa

South Africa's director Rassie Erasmus speaks during a press conference at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, on October 10, 2023, as part of the France 2023 Rugby World Cup. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

It is often said that South Africa are a team that are made for World Cups and knockout rugby, but so too is their director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.

ADVERTISEMENT

Springboks fly-half Handre Pollard revealed this week that nothing Erasmus and head coach Jacques Nienbaer do is “just for no reason” and that it is “all thought out, meticulously planned.” By that rationale, Erasmus clearly had a ploy when he named the England squad the Springboks are preparing to face in the World Cup semi-final on Saturday at the Stade de France.

Whether it is to get into England head coach Steve Borthwick’s head, the players’ heads or probably both, this is the latest move from a director of rugby who seems to revel in these situations.

Video Spacer

WATCH as South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus drops some interesting selection hints ahead of the World Cup semifinal face-off with England

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 2:10
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 2:10
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    WATCH as South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus drops some interesting selection hints ahead of the World Cup semifinal face-off with England

    England have not been keen on chopping and changing their team too much this World Cup in the same way South Africa have, so this was not necessarily a difficult task for Erasmus. Nevertheless, he is expecting at least one change from the England team that beat Fiji on Sunday in Marseille, with Kyle Sinckler, who only lasted two minutes of the 2019 World Cup final before going off injured, predicted to start at tighthead prop instead of Dan Cole. Just like much of the rugby world, he is also unsure as to who will start at fullback between Freddie Steward and newly fashioned No15 Marcus Smith.

    England team predicted by Erasmus
    1. Ellis Genge
    2. Jamie George
    3. Kyle Sinckler
    4. Maro Itoje
    5. Ollie Chessum
    6. Courtney Lawes
    7. Tom Curry
    8. Ben Earl
    9. Alex Mitchell
    10. Owen Farrell (c)
    11. Elliot Daly
    12. Manu Tuilagi
    13. Joe Marchant
    14. Jonny May
    15. Marcus Smith or Freddie Steward

    Replacements:
    16. Theo Dan
    17. Joe Marler
    18. Dan Coles
    19. George Martin
    20. Billy Vunipola
    21. Danny Care or Ben Youngs
    22. George Ford
    23. Ollie Lawrence

    Related

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

    England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

    HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Men's Day Three Highlights

    HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Women's Day Three Highlights

    "I would love to play with Siya Kolisi" | HSBC Life on Tour | Vancouver

    Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

    Behind the Scenes with the Stars of the Kenya Rugby Sevens Team | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 7

    O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

    Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    28 Comments
    H
    Hendrik 499 days ago

    The SAME ref..who blowed Faf wrongfully….will ref the Semi’s..???
    This WILL be a really an dishonest RWC final…..!!!

    N
    Nigel 501 days ago

    Predicts the English team but can’t put one name in the 15 jumper. Clown of note. SA have a word for pip squeaks like Erasmus ‘doos’.

    N
    Nigel 501 days ago

    I hear that Cirkus Cirkör and Circus Varga have offered Erasmus good jobs as their head clown. He’s a shoe in for either job.

    d
    dave 501 days ago

    Please. Let’s not attribute too much intelligence to Rassie. He’s South African after all. A great shit stirrer. A very average player and coach.

    P
    Poe 501 days ago

    It was not England have a lot of options is it?

    A
    Alexander 501 days ago

    Clickbait

    A
    Ace 501 days ago

    C’mon, of course they have an idea of who will play, just like England have an idea who the Boks will pick. And they will prepare accordingly.

    No mind games here.

    Load More Comments

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    c
    claire forlani 25 minutes ago
    Former All Black Craig Newby lands head coach role in England

    It all began in late 2024 when I fell victim to a sophisticated phishing scam. An email, seemingly from a reputable crypto exchange, prompted me to update my security settings. Unbeknownst to me, this was a trap. Within hours, my Bitcoin holdings vanished from my wallet. Devastated, I scoured the internet for solutions. That’s when I stumbled upon NanoAethosCoinRecovery, a firm renowned for its expertise in retrieving stolen cryptocurrencies. Skeptical yet desperate, I reached out to them. Their team responded promptly, assuring me of their commitment to assist. They explained their process: utilizing advanced blockchain analysis tools to trace the movement of stolen funds and collaborating with exchanges to freeze and recover assets. Over the next few weeks, they provided regular updates, detailing the trail of my stolen Bitcoin. Their persistence paid off. They identified the wallet holding my funds and, through their network, managed to facilitate the return of my Bitcoin. This experience was a stark reminder of the risks in the crypto space and the importance of swift action and expert assistance. Thanks to NanoAethosCoinRecovery, I not only recovered my assets but also gained invaluable insights into safeguarding my digital wealth.

    For more information,  contact:

    Whatsapp: +1 (570) 229-9724 Telegram:https://t.me/NanoAethos Email:  (NanoAethosCoinRecovery@engineer.com)

    1 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Fissler Confidential: Lion to leave Scotland, what Exeter will pay Len Ikitau Fissler Confidential: Lion to leave Scotland
    Search