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The Springboks confirm one change made to team named on Tuesday
By Liam Heagney
Rassie Erasmus has tinkered with the Springboks team he announced on Tuesday to face Wales this Saturday in Cardiff, confirming on Wednesday he has had a rethink about the make-up of the originally selected front row.
Ox Nche was initially one of eight players retained from last Saturday’s starting side versus England named to start versus the Welsh in the final match of South Africa’s three-game Autumn Nations Series.
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It would have been Nche’s third start of the tour, but head coach Erasmus has now revisited his selection and decided to shift Thomas du Toit from tighthead to loosehead in place of the now rested Nche and reinstate Wilco Louw as the starting No3.
Louw was last week named for his first cap since a 2021 appearance versus Argentina in Port Elizabeth. He went on to play well against England but was set to sit out next weekend’s Principality Stadium fixture. It was also revealed that five players not included in the match day 23 were going home early to spend time with their families before returning to their respective clubs and franchises.
Utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit, a World Rugby player of the year nominee who is nursing a shoulder niggle, returned home on Monday, with four more following on Wednesday – Kwagga Smith (loose forward), Lukhanyo Am (centre), Andre Esterhuizen (centre) and Makazole Mapimpi (wing).
Explaining the update in a SA Rugby statement, Erasmus said: “Ox has been a key player for us this season and, given his high work rate over the last few months, we opted to rest him for this clash.
“Wilco started last week’s match and he has been training well this week, so it makes sense to include him in the starting team and move Thomas to loosehead prop. It also maintains the consistency we have in the front row among the replacements.
“We gave a few players who are not playing the option to remain in camp or return home to spend quality time with their families, while at the same time ensuring that we have enough depth in the squad to cover all the positions in case we suffer injuries before the match. So we are confident that we all well covered in the event that anything should happen before the game.”
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Springboks (updated team vs Wales, Saturday)
15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 10 caps, 30 points (6t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 39 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 78 caps, 90 points (18t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 86 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 23 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Jordan Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 1 cap, 7 pts (2c, 1p)
9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 19 caps, 19 pts (2t, 3c, 1p)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 33 caps, 10 points (2t)
7 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 12 caps, 0 points
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 91 caps, 60 points (12t)
5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 77 caps, 15 points (3t)
4 – Jean Kleyn (Munster) – 7 caps, 0 pts (Ireland 5 caps)
3 – Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 0 points
2 – Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 0 points
1 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 22 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 75 caps, 105 points (21t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 60 caps, 0 points
19 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 130 caps, 30 points (6t)
20 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 39 caps, 10 points (2t)
21 – Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls) – uncapped
22 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 38 caps, 70 pts (14t)
23 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 79 caps, 772 points (7t, 109c, 168p, 5dg)
Watch the highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun 2, chronicling the journey of the Springboks as they strive to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup, free on RugbyPass TV (*unavailable in Africa)
Starting pack with half as many caps as the pack that started against England (259 vs 502), a very inexperienced fly half at Bok level, and a scrum half that was less than scintillating in his last outing. The starting front row is the least capped we have seen in a long time.
I am sure Rassie knows what he is doing, and there is plenty of firepower on the bench, but there is potential for a less than polished first 60 minutes from the starting pack and half backs. While the centers and outside backs are really strong, they may be frustrated by this starting platform.
It's hard to see Wales winning it, but with these selections it may be decided in the last quarter.
The bombsquad is pretty impressive, Wales wont be able to handle them.
Rugbypass becoming The Sun newspaper, all about engagement. I know, I enganged.
Why not tell the story as it is. Rassie hasn't "tinkered" with the team. Ox Nche has a deep cut above his knee and that is the only reason why he's been replaced, NOT as a result of some alleged tinkering.