Rassie Erasmus is throwing his weight behind Damian Willemse stepping into the fullback role against Argentina in Durban this Saturday, following Aphelele Fassi's unfortunate injury. Alongside this switch, the Springbok lineup sees the return of Damian de Allende at inside centre and Eben Etzebeth stepping in for the injured Lood de Jager.
Willemse's shift to the 15 jersey didn't exactly come as a surprise. "Firstly, Fassi's injured and he's out for quite some time," Erasmus pointed out. "We were quite honest about Damian – he was struggling a bit with form, so we brought him closer to the game at 12 [against the All Blacks in Wellington] where things can be more instinctive. Then he shifted to 15 and looked just as comfortable. He’s done many great things for us. People think he’s young, but he’s already won World Cups and a British & Irish Lions series. Sometimes you just need one game to get you back to form. I think it’s quite an obvious choice with Fassi out."
"He’s done many great things for us. People think he’s young, but he’s already won World Cups and a British & Irish Lions series. Sometimes you just need one game to get you back to form."
The coach also touched on retaining Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at fly-half and the effective midfield pairing of De Allende and Canan Moodie. "Mannie [Libbok] played really well [off the bench], but Sacha was excellent until he got the head knock. He also covered fullback well. We’ll see how things go. If we’re in control, we might move Sacha to 15 again, maybe Damian back to 12 and Andre [Esterhuizen] into the mix later. It gives us options," Erasmus explained.
On the decision to start Thomas du Toit over Wilco Louw, Erasmus drew parallels to their strategic management of other positions. "There was a long time when Bongi started and Malcolm [Marx] finished games, and it worked for us. Wilco is one of the best scrummagers in the world, no doubt. Thomas is technically very good, but his mobility around the park is excellent. Against teams like Argentina and New Zealand, who bring so much pace, that counts. Wilco brings the edge in scrums and also when the game slows down. So it’s about what each player offers in different scenarios," he commented.
Erasmus also acknowledged the challenge posed by Felipe Contepomi's Argentina, a team still in the hunt for the Rugby Championship title after impressive performances against the All Blacks and the Wallabies. "I thought they could have won both Australia games," said Erasmus. "They’ve got a lot of experience in their coaching staff. They’re fearless, well-organized. We love playing against Argentina. They’ve beaten us before, and since I’ve been involved, they’ve given us some tough lessons. They’re a real threat."
With the stakes high and the game fast approaching, the Springboks are set to face a formidable Argentine side, promising a thrilling clash this weekend in Durban.