Erasmus names new-look backline for second Test

Erasmus names new-look backline for second Test

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look backline for the second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday, where Ethan Hooker will earn his first start in the green and gold jumper.

The fourth-round Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter at Sky Stadium will decide which team claims the Freedom Cup.

Erasmus made seven personnel changes to his starting XV, with 16 players in the match-23 retained from the side that went down 24-17 against the All Blacks in Auckland last week.

The Bok coach tinkered with his backline, with Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu pairing up at halfback, Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie in the midfield, Hooker and Cheslin Kolbe on the wings, and Aphelele Fassi at fullback, in a team that will be led by regular captain Siya Kolisi.

Up front, Kolisi returns to flanker along with Pieter-Steph du Toit, while No 8 Jasper Wiese will return to the field for the first time since facing Italy in the Castle Lager Incoming Series after serving his four-match suspension.

The only change in the pack was at lock, where Lood de Jager will pack down next to Ruan Nortje, while Erasmus stuck with the same front row of props Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit, and hooker Malcolm Marx.

Ethan Hooker.

Erasmus again opted for a split of five forwards and three backs on the replacements’ bench, where Marnus van der Merwe (hooker), Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Wilco Louw (props), RG Snyman (lock) and Kwagga Smith (loose forward) will provide further forward cover. The backs on the bench are halfbacks Grant Williams, Manie Libbok, and centre Andre Esterhuizen.

“This is an exciting team, which we believe will provide us with the forward power we require, and spark in the backline against a quality All Blacks side,” said Erasmus.

“We’ve maintained consistency in selection to a large degree in the last few matches, but apart from what we feel some of the players selected can add to our attack, we’d like to see what some of the players can do against the top-ranked team in the world.

“This is a vital match for our Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign, and we feel some fresh legs and energy are what we need to come away with the desired result.”

Erasmus added: “Every player in this squad knows we believe in them and back them, and this will serve as a great occasion for them to show us what they are capable of against a team such as the All Blacks.

“They have all done the job for us against some of the top teams in the world earlier this year, and others over the last few years, and we know they’ll relish this opportunity to face New Zealand in their backyard.”

Lood de Jager has been promoted to the starting lineup.

The Bok coach said they are expecting another epic encounter against their arch rivals: “Both teams will be up for the challenge this week after having to cope with heavy rain at times in Auckland, and after the disappointing performance we delivered in the opening stages of that match, we know we need to be much more effective in all departments this week and produce a performance both us and our supporters can be proud of.

“We need a top-class performance to ensure that we are in contention to win the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.

“We know where we went wrong last week and what we must fix, and we’ll leave no stone unturned to fix those errors. There’s no doubt that we have to deliver a proper 80-minute performance to do well, and we will give everything to achieve that.”

The match kicks off at 09h05 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Springbok team to face the All Blacks in Wellington:

15 Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 14 caps, 35 points (7t)

14 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – 43 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)

13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 40 pts (8t)

12 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 42 caps, 61 points (5t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)

11 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 2 caps, 0 points

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 58 points (17c, 8p)

9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 43 caps, 75 pts (15t)

8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 36 caps, 10 points (2t)

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 90 caps, 60 pts (12t)

6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 95 caps, 65 points (13t)

5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 0 pts

4 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 70 caps, 25 points (5t)

3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 27 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 81 caps, 120 pts (24t)

1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 44 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets) – 2 caps, 10 points (2t)

17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 10 pts (2t)

18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 21 caps, 0 pts

19 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 43 caps, 10 points (2t)

20 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 56 caps, 50 points (10t)

21 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 22 caps, 25 pts (5t)

22 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 21 caps, 115 pts (1t, 37c, 12p)

23 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 22 caps, 5 pts (1t)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:

Springbok record against New Zealand:

Played: 109, Won: 42, Lost: 63, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 807; Points against: 2 259; Tries scored: 175; Tries conceded: 247. Win %: 38.6%.

Miscellaneous:

1. Should the Springboks win the match, they will retain the Freedom Cup against New Zealand, which they won for the first time last year since 2009.
2. The last time the teams met at the Sky Stadium was in 2019, where they played to a 16-16 draw, with the Boks winning the previous encounter between the sides 36-34 at the stadium.
3. Springbok flanker Siya Kolisi will play his 96th Test match, leaving him only four matches short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game. He will lead South Africa for the 64th time.
4. Jasper Wiese will return to the Springbok team for the first time since the team’s 45-0 victory against Italy in Gqeberha after serving a four-match suspension.
5. The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 626. There are 173 caps in the backline, with 453 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 193 caps.
6. The average caps per player in the backline is 25, the forwards 57, while the players on the bench average 24.

Thank god he has dropped DDA. Let's hope that was the last we saw of him.

Dave will be happy to see Willemse at 12. But honestly, I'd have gone for AE at 12, Willemse at 15 and Fassie on the bench to cover wing and FB.

I guess it's the hybrid thing with AE. But honestly, this mix of backs, obviously including my boy Arendse is what I'd have been playing with all season already. And i would 100% not have Manie on the bench and instead have Pollard there...because a 60 year-old Pollard is still a million times superior to Manie.

But lets also remember that Sacha has had very little game time with Reinach. I don't recall Sacha playing with Willemse at 12 much either...perhaps at the Stompies? Hooker has has seen about 30 minutes of Bok time in 7 games...and now he is is at the deep end in a must win game.

Thank heaven's Jasper is back - but now Eskom, who has probably been out best loosie, gets dropped from the match day squad completely - as Pakie pointed out, Eskom made the most run meters for us this past weekend.

And again, we fail to start Eben and RG together for some reason unknown to anybody.

Well, the stage is set for Sacha. When it came down to it, Rassie has finally picked out best 10 and i hope to all hell that he has a cracker and cements himself as the first pick for 10 for the rest of the year.

Esterhuizen 12 / Willemse 15 is a good call and much more of a settled structure.

"Esterhuizen 12 / Willemse 15 is a good call and much more of a settled structure."

My call too.

Waste of time with AE at 12 - he is 31

Spot on with Willemse at 12 and Fassi at 15

Agreed Pakie & Draad, Willemse has not played much at 12 for the stormers, let alone at Test level….His best Position is 15.

We will see how he goes at 12 this Saturday. It might be a great success.

Will his defence be good enough for the 12 channel? His cover defence at Fullback, as always been good.

Will He get freedom to operate or will Erasmus make him play crash Ball?

Bullshit is his best position 15

What I can’t comprehend is how stupid people are

We know Fassi is a class act and we know Willemse is the same

If you want your best possible side on the field then it’s fucking obvious to have as many of the class acts on the field starting

So given this fact then it’s obvious that you play Fassi at 15 and Willemse at 12 - not to mention the fact that I believe his best position is 12

Rassie thankfully has got this spot on and let’s hope it works as he has said that if it does then it may be the way forward for the future

Up till now he has played predominantly at 15 not 12. He has played his best Rugby for the Boks and Stormers at 15.

So how can Fullback not be his best position?? When he has played regularly at 12 and performed there, then maybe can it also be mentioned as one of his best position’s.

No his best position has not been 15 for the Stormers - his last good games for the Stormers was at 12

He is a good 15 but a better 12, we don’t need him at 15 as we have Fassi, we need him at 12

What part of this obvious equation are you not getting?

Your “equation” falls apart the moment you look at actual facts instead of your know it all Feelings.

Damian Willemse has played most of his professional Rugby at Fullback, both for the Stormers and for the Springboks. The numbers don’t lie.

All.Rugby stats:

58 Matches at Fullback

( 48%)

36 Matches at Flyhalf

(30%)

27 Matches at Centre

(22%)

He has been the Stormers and the Boks preferred option at fullback for years, which is why most coaches have trusted him there.

To claim 12 is his best position when he hasn’t even played half the number of games there compared to 15 is pure speculation, not fact.

Yes, Willemse has the talent to cover 12 and has shown promise, but he still needs to prove himself as a first choice inside centre at test level.

Until then, his record shows his best and most played position is Fullback.

Listen here you fucking idiot I said the last few games he played 12 for the Stormers, he was very good

Wake the fuck up dunce

Willemse has played most of his recent rugby at 12 for the Stormers. I think this is currently his best position. He is certainly more creative than Delande and Esteruizen.

As a fly-half, he is hot and cold, and not really the best kicker for poles or territory. He has bulked up and is now strong enough for a test level inside centre.

He is good at fullback, but more of a utility player at fullback.

And there it is again… the moment you run out of facts, you go straight to swearing and name calling….Talk about Dumb!!

It’s the same pattern every time, insults instead of rugby knowledge.

Nobody argued that Willemse looked good at 12 in a few recent games.

What I pointed out, and you still haven’t countered, is that he has played the majority of his professional career at 15, for both Stormers and Boks. That’s not opinion, it’s stats.

If you want a grown-up rugby debate, bring facts. If all you’ve got is “fucking idiot, dunce” then you’re just proving to everyone here that you can’t communicate beyond playground level insults.

What is this you fucking idiot:

‘Your “equation” falls apart the moment you look at actual facts instead of your know it all Feelings.’

It was actually someone else on here that highlighted the fact that Willemse was very good at 12 for the Stormers the last few times he played there - I happened to agree with him - get it you dumb fuck?

Why do you think he has played most of his games at 15 for the Boks dumbass? Could it be because we had a settled de Allende at 12?

At 15 Willie was never settled hence Willemse playing most of his tests at 15.

Who cares where he played at the Stormers, Dobson is hardly the measure now is he?

It does not fucking matter how many games he has played in a certain position you plank it’s about how good he is in that position when he plays there

He is good at 12 and 15 but we don’t need him at 15 for the Boks as we have Fassi, we need someone at 12 to replace the old boys - queue Willemse - what part of this don’t you understand you fucking idiot?

Here’s the difference between me and you, I deal in facts, you deal in wishful thinking.

Fact: Willemse has played the bulk of his professional rugby at fullback both for Stormers and Boks.

Fact: He has not yet proved himself as a first-choice international 12.

Fact: Looking good for a couple of games at URC level, is not the same as replacing De Allende or AE at test level.

Porker, your whole rant boils down to: “I think he looked good in a few games at 12 for the Stormers, therefore he’s a world-class inside centre.” That’s not analysis, that’s pure speculation!

And Sharkbok, same story you’re just guessing. Until Willemse actually dominates at 12, calling it his “best position” is nothing more than your personal opinion.

So Porker if you want to dream, go ahead. But don’t dress up speculation as fact and then insult everyone who points out the obvious reality. That’s the mark of a person who can’t argue properly and is profoundly stupid!!

Fuck you are beyond stupid - I’m not going even bother to respond to that

You are literally too thick to work out what I said in my previous post but more than anything you are too fucking stupid to understand the benefit of having Fassi and Willemse starting

Whoosh

Classic, when the facts don’t go your way, you suddenly “won’t bother to respond.” Translation: you’ve got nothing left but swearing!!

Here’s the reality you keep dodging:

Fassi might look good in attack, but defensively he’s been a liability at test level. That’s not opinion, that’s what we’ve actually seen in his last Bok outings!

Willemse is simply a stronger and more reliable option at 15 right now, he’s proven it at international level!

If we’re talking about the future at 12, someone like David Kriel has shown far more consistency in that role than Willemse has so far.

So no, it doesn’t make sense to weaken fullback just to gamble on Willemse at 12 when he hasn’t nailed that spot at test level.

Keep Willemse at 15 where he’s already proven, and bring in a proper 12 instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.

The only “whoosh” here is you ducking facts and mistaking speculation for rugby insight!

Esterhuizen is certainly young enough to make it through WC 2027 and the most likely back in the country to construct modern rugby from the 12 slot, assuming of course he isn’t instructed just to crash ball.

But of course this is all nonsense. Last Saturday the last thing we were going to do is offload……that’s when we were really intent to win. Now that Lucky has given up, suddenly that’s what we want to do. We offloaded 3 times in that test

Nope Esterhuizen is too old - we need to give Willemse an extended run there to see if he can buck the trend and play 12 more creatively and if that does not work then play Hooker at 12

But while we start with Willemse at 12 we need to be employing Hooker off the bench to come on at 12 so that if a mid term investment in Willemse at 12 does not work then Hooker would seamlessly move into the role

Esterhuizen will just be another DA - let’s move on

Esterhuizen is far more skilled than Dud Allende….Lucky’s dead head coaching hasn’t allowed that to be included in ….haha…Brown ball. What a mess.

Disagree AE is no more skilled than DA - I prefer DA in every respect. Both similar but I get why Rassie chose DA over AE

Everybody has the right to like who they like….so let’s leave that in the disagreement column. What do you think the marching orders for this new backline are…not having played much together and not having played in an expansive game plan,

Who knows and therein lies the problem as it’s not the right game to blood this backline unless he commits to them regardless of the outcome

If he resorts back to the old against the Argies then this whole exercise would be meaningless