Looks like Rassie Erasmus is about to enter the dragon's den with a pocketknife instead of a sword for the upcoming tussle in Cardiff. After their first win in Dublin since the days when flip phones were a thing, Erasmus confirmed the Springboks are almost down to the bare bones with only about 24 or 25 players heading to Wales after a massive squad departure.
With most of the overseas legion needing to jet back to their clubs, the Boks' roster reads more like a casualty list than a team sheet. The Japanese contingent, including big names like Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe, got a special nod to play against Japan but must now return to their club duties. “A whole bunch of guys have to return to Japan. Some of the Japanese clubs asked us nicely, because they helped us for our match against Japan, which was also outside the Test window,” said Rassie, probably with a sigh heavier than a sumo wrestler after dinner.
"Some people might have expected us to beat Ireland because they are No 4 and we are No 1, but we still know that we can slip if we lose focus for the Test against Wales,"
Erasmus isn't just dealing with absentees from Japan. The Sharks' Edwill van der Merwe and Grant Williams are packing their bags too, alongside a trio from the northern hemisphere clubs: Edinburgh's Boan Venter, Leinster's RG Snyman, and Bath's Thomas du Toit.
Despite the depleted forces, the master tactician stressed the stakes couldn't be higher against the Welsh. Securing a top-four World Rugby ranking before the 2027 World Cup draw is crucial unless they fancy a 'Group of Death' scenario. “I think we’ve used 50 players this year. Next year we can do more experiments. The first goal was just to finish in the top four so that with the World Cup draw we don’t end up in a Group of Death,” Erasmus noted, plotting his moves like a chess grandmaster.
As the Boks brace for the Welsh dragon, they'll be hoping their skeleton crew can pull off another performance to remember. Meanwhile, fans might want to double-check those player rosters before the game, lest they confuse the team lineup with a missing persons list.
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Looks like Rassie Erasmus is about to enter the dragon's den with a pocketknife instead of a sword for the upcoming tussle in Cardiff. After their first win in Dublin since the days when flip phones were a thing, Erasmus confirmed the Springboks are almost down to the bare bones with only about 24 or 25 players heading to Wales after a massive squad departure.
With most of the overseas legion needing to jet back to their clubs, the Boks' roster reads more like a casualty list than a team sheet. The Japanese contingent, including big names like Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe, got a special nod to play against Japan but must now return to their club duties. “A whole bunch of guys have to return to Japan. Some of the Japanese clubs asked us nicely, because they helped us for our match against Japan, which was also outside the Test window,” said Rassie, probably with a sigh heavier than a sumo wrestler after dinner.
"Some people might have expected us to beat Ireland because they are No 4 and we are No 1, but we still know that we can slip if we lose focus for the Test against Wales,"
Erasmus isn't just dealing with absentees from Japan. The Sharks' Edwill van der Merwe and Grant Williams are packing their bags too, alongside a trio from the northern hemisphere clubs: Edinburgh's Boan Venter, Leinster's RG Snyman, and Bath's Thomas du Toit.
Despite the depleted forces, the master tactician stressed the stakes couldn't be higher against the Welsh. Securing a top-four World Rugby ranking before the 2027 World Cup draw is crucial unless they fancy a 'Group of Death' scenario. “I think we’ve used 50 players this year. Next year we can do more experiments. The first goal was just to finish in the top four so that with the World Cup draw we don’t end up in a Group of Death,” Erasmus noted, plotting his moves like a chess grandmaster.
As the Boks brace for the Welsh dragon, they'll be hoping their skeleton crew can pull off another performance to remember. Meanwhile, fans might want to double-check those player rosters before the game, lest they confuse the team lineup with a missing persons list.