The Springboks, fresh off a historic thrashing of the All Blacks, have hit a snag with a trio of key players sidelined due to injuries. After a monumental victory in Wellington, the team returned to South Africa only to confront an expanding injury list as they prep for the upcoming Rugby Championship clashes with Argentina. Despite the setbacks, head coach Rassie Erasmus remains optimistic about his squad's depth and resilience.
Back-rower Jean-Luc du Preez is out of the lineup after an injury in training prior to the Eden Park game. Full-back Aphelele Fassi and lock Lood de Jager both suffered injuries during the game in Wellington and had to leave the field early. These new injuries add to an already extensive list that includes Gerhard Steenekamp, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, and Kurt-Lee Arendse, among others. Despite these blows, no immediate replacements have been called up, as South Africa Rugby is awaiting further medical assessments.
"This group of players have been together for over 13 weeks now, and they’ve shown that they are the right players for this big task against the Pumas,"
Erasmus expressed his confidence in the current squad's ability to handle the challenges ahead. "We’ve chopped and changed our squad a fair bit this season, playing a total of 46 players in our last eight matches, including in the Barbarians match, and by training together almost daily, we are confident that these are the players who can give us the best shot to try to retain the title," Erasmus noted.
The coach also highlighted the versatility and talent within the team, emphasizing the strength that comes from having adaptable players. "We are blessed with talent in South Africa, so as sad as we are for players such as Lood, Jean-Luc, Aphelele, Kurt-Lee, and many others, we have capable guys to fill their boots," he remarked.
The Rugby Championship is tightly contested this year, with the Wallabies leading slightly in points. Erasmus acknowledged the strength of the upcoming Argentine squad, noting their recent victory over Australia and past successes. "The Pumas are a tough and physical outfit, and they’ll come to South Africa full of confidence," he said. "They have quality forwards and backs, and they play with guts and passion, so we know it will take two great performances to beat them and hopefully reclaim the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title."
With the final two games poised to be crucial for all teams involved, Erasmus stressed the importance of focus and precision. "The next two games are going to be vital for all four teams because there is so little between them in terms of the way they play, and given how close the standings are. Any team can still win the competition, so there is no margin for error, and every point will count. These are going to be massive battles," he concluded.
Springboks squad for the final two rounds: Forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan N
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The Springboks, fresh off a historic thrashing of the All Blacks, have hit a snag with a trio of key players sidelined due to injuries. After a monumental victory in Wellington, the team returned to South Africa only to confront an expanding injury list as they prep for the upcoming Rugby Championship clashes with Argentina. Despite the setbacks, head coach Rassie Erasmus remains optimistic about his squad's depth and resilience.
Back-rower Jean-Luc du Preez is out of the lineup after an injury in training prior to the Eden Park game. Full-back Aphelele Fassi and lock Lood de Jager both suffered injuries during the game in Wellington and had to leave the field early. These new injuries add to an already extensive list that includes Gerhard Steenekamp, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, and Kurt-Lee Arendse, among others. Despite these blows, no immediate replacements have been called up, as South Africa Rugby is awaiting further medical assessments.
"This group of players have been together for over 13 weeks now, and they’ve shown that they are the right players for this big task against the Pumas,"
Erasmus expressed his confidence in the current squad's ability to handle the challenges ahead. "We’ve chopped and changed our squad a fair bit this season, playing a total of 46 players in our last eight matches, including in the Barbarians match, and by training together almost daily, we are confident that these are the players who can give us the best shot to try to retain the title," Erasmus noted.
The coach also highlighted the versatility and talent within the team, emphasizing the strength that comes from having adaptable players. "We are blessed with talent in South Africa, so as sad as we are for players such as Lood, Jean-Luc, Aphelele, Kurt-Lee, and many others, we have capable guys to fill their boots," he remarked.
The Rugby Championship is tightly contested this year, with the Wallabies leading slightly in points. Erasmus acknowledged the strength of the upcoming Argentine squad, noting their recent victory over Australia and past successes. "The Pumas are a tough and physical outfit, and they’ll come to South Africa full of confidence," he said. "They have quality forwards and backs, and they play with guts and passion, so we know it will take two great performances to beat them and hopefully reclaim the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title."
With the final two games poised to be crucial for all teams involved, Erasmus stressed the importance of focus and precision. "The next two games are going to be vital for all four teams because there is so little between them in terms of the way they play, and given how close the standings are. Any team can still win the competition, so there is no margin for error, and every point will count. These are going to be massive battles," he concluded.
Springboks squad for the final two rounds:
Forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan N