Hold the alarm bells! Former Springbok prop Lawrence Sephaka has weighed in on Bongi Mbonambi’s exclusion from the South Africa squad for the upcoming end-of-year tour, and he’s not sweating it. According to Sephaka, this is just coach Rassie Erasmus letting his go-to hooker simmer a bit before the next big rugby feast.
Mbonambi, a pivotal force in South Africa’s consecutive World Cup victories, finds himself on the standby list this time around. It’s a move that’s stirred up some chatter about his future with the Boks. Yet, Sephaka, no stranger to the rough and tumble of rugby himself, sees this as a classic Rassie strategy. “
‘From the way I’ve seen Rassie operate, he does give off-form players some time to cook again'
,” he pointed out. This isn’t about losing faith; it’s about sharpening the blade for battles ahead.
At 34, Mbonambi has been grinding in the trenches for nearly a decade, and the toll is showing. “Bongi hasn’t had a proper break outside of his injuries and the older you get, the tougher it gets,” Sephaka noted. It seems the rest is not just deserved but necessary. This breather might just be what the doctor ordered to get Mbonambi back in prime form.
The Boks’ touring squad is a mix of seasoned warriors and fresh blood, with hookers Malcolm Marx and Johan Grobbelaar getting the nod over Mbonambi and Marnus van der Merwe. Sephaka reminds us that the end-of-year tour has traditionally been a chance to reward the season’s standout performers. It’s about giving those who shone in the United Rugby Championship a shot, echoing past practices where Currie Cup stars were picked.
So, while fans might be puzzling over Mbonambi’s sidelining, Sephaka’s insights suggest that this is just part of a larger game plan by Erasmus. It’s not a curtain call but a brief intermission for one of rugby’s stalwarts. With big games on the horizon next year, a well-rested Mbonambi could be exactly what the Springboks need to keep their edge sharp.
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Hold the alarm bells! Former Springbok prop Lawrence Sephaka has weighed in on Bongi Mbonambi’s exclusion from the South Africa squad for the upcoming end-of-year tour, and he’s not sweating it. According to Sephaka, this is just coach Rassie Erasmus letting his go-to hooker simmer a bit before the next big rugby feast.
Mbonambi, a pivotal force in South Africa’s consecutive World Cup victories, finds himself on the standby list this time around. It’s a move that’s stirred up some chatter about his future with the Boks. Yet, Sephaka, no stranger to the rough and tumble of rugby himself, sees this as a classic Rassie strategy. “
‘From the way I’ve seen Rassie operate, he does give off-form players some time to cook again'
,” he pointed out. This isn’t about losing faith; it’s about sharpening the blade for battles ahead.At 34, Mbonambi has been grinding in the trenches for nearly a decade, and the toll is showing. “Bongi hasn’t had a proper break outside of his injuries and the older you get, the tougher it gets,” Sephaka noted. It seems the rest is not just deserved but necessary. This breather might just be what the doctor ordered to get Mbonambi back in prime form.
The Boks’ touring squad is a mix of seasoned warriors and fresh blood, with hookers Malcolm Marx and Johan Grobbelaar getting the nod over Mbonambi and Marnus van der Merwe. Sephaka reminds us that the end-of-year tour has traditionally been a chance to reward the season’s standout performers. It’s about giving those who shone in the United Rugby Championship a shot, echoing past practices where Currie Cup stars were picked.
So, while fans might be puzzling over Mbonambi’s sidelining, Sephaka’s insights suggest that this is just part of a larger game plan by Erasmus. It’s not a curtain call but a brief intermission for one of rugby’s stalwarts. With big games on the horizon next year, a well-rested Mbonambi could be exactly what the Springboks need to keep their edge sharp.