Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus can breathe a little easier with the return of stalwarts Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, patching up the gaps in his lock roster caused by a spate of injuries. With RG Snyman, Ruan Venter, Jean Kleyn, and Salmaan Moerat sidelined, the lock department was looking thin. However, reinforcements have arrived with Stormers’ Ruben van Heerden stepping up, and both Cobus Wiese and Ruan Nortjé being on call.
At a press briefing, Erasmus shared his views on the situation, “It’s never really been the age profile that worries us. If a player is performing, getting over the advantage line, making tackles and winning lineouts, then age doesn’t matter.” He firmly believes that a player’s age is irrelevant as long as they deliver on the field.
“Players only become too old when your body is breaking down, or you can’t get over the advantage line, or can’t lift in the lineout, tackle or can’t give us the battle rates that we want.”
Erasmus also mentioned Franco Mostert, highlighting his unaffected performance despite his age, “I really don’t think that with a guy like Franco, age will influence the way he’s playing.”
The coach lamented the loss of Snyman, noting his usual impact, “RG was always the guy who made the match 23, either starting or giving us some impact.” He also touched on the other injured players, describing Jean as a solid backup and expressing concern over Salmaan’s long-term neck injury. The flexibility of the Lions to adapt Ruan Venter from flank to lock was also commended, though Venter’s own long-term knee issue remains a setback.
Amidst these challenges, Erasmus expressed optimism about Junior Boks captain Riley Norton, who has been training with the Springboks. He praised Norton’s seamless transition and leadership, “Riley has a maturity about him. Coming into the Springbok setup as a young player, he’s not overawed at all. There’s an aura around him. He understands what professional rugby is about and that’s one of the reasons he’s such a strong leader for the Junior Boks.”
Despite the setbacks, Erasmus sees the glass as half full, pointing out that only Snyman is ruled out for the entire season, which suggests a more robust scenario than what might be perceived from the outside.