Faf not discarded says Rassie as he throws Bok net far and wide before World Cup
SPRINGBOKS
Springboks veteran scrumhalf Faf de Klerk will return.
Image: BackpagePix
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says supporters must not read too much into players coming and going from the squad because he wants to give everyone on his famous radar game time before the world champions defend their crown next year in Australia.
For example, eyebrows were raised when veteran Faf de Klerk was recalled for last week’s match against the Barbarians, only to be released from the squad to — curiously — join the Barbarians team for their match against Wales this weekend.
And promoted to the 46-man squad for the Nations Championship was Herschel Jantjies, who last played for the Boks in August 2023 against Argentina, and did not get the nod for the World Cup later that year.
“While winning every Test match is our chief goal, everyone on our radar — and we follow all the competitions in world rugby to track the guys we are interested in — must be looked at as we work toward the World Cup. When we get there, we want to be sure that everyone has had a shot.
“We know what Faf can do. We’ve worked with him, we’ve trained with him, and we know his value,” Erasmus explained. “We’ve always rated Herschel; he was earmarked and has been playing well for Bayonne. Now we want to have a proper look at him.”
Erasmus added that scrumhalf is a position where he likes to have four players in the squad — for the Nations Championship, it is Jantjies, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams, and Embrose Papier.
“We feel more confident having four 9s, and we like them to be at different stages of their careers, although that has been a bit difficult this time with Morne van den Berg and Jaden Hendrikse injured. Cobus at 35 is our very experienced guy, Grant has played quite a bit (28 Tests), and Embrose and Herschel are returning.”
Erasmus reiterated that many Springboks absent from the 46-man squad are still in the reckoning.
“The list goes far beyond guys like Faf and Vincent Koch,” Erasmus said. “You can add Bongi (Mbonambi), Jaden (Hendrikse), Jordan (Hendrikse), Ethan (Hooker), Sebastian (de Klerk), Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu), Frans Malherbe, Trevor (Nyakane), and others.
“Every player’s situation is different and is on a different path, which we have mapped out on a chart,” the coach explained. “There can still be a tweak here and there in the Nations Championship games against Scotland and Wales. Lood (de Jager) might get a run soon.
“There are another 15 to 17 players who are either injured, being rested, or who may be better suited to specific matches later in the campaign.”
With Erasmus, everything is carefully planned. Just as the team to play the Barbarians was known to the players long before the match, the team to play England has already been picked.
“We have plans for the Scotland match (at Loftus Versfeld on July 11), and the third game (against Wales), he said. “Internally, those plans are already in place.”
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