Rassie rings changes to Bok squad with new-look backline for crucial Wellington clash

If it were any other era of Springbok rugby, the omission of stalwarts such as Eben Etzebeth (136 caps), Handrè Pollard (84 caps), Damian de Allende (91 caps), Jesse Kriel (83 caps) and Willie le Roux (101) caps would be viewed as the rugby version of a purge.

But in the Rassie Erasmus-era, wholesale changes from week to week are the norm rather than the exception. And the coach has done it again with eight changes (including a positional switch) to the 23 from last week’s squad, opting for a fresh backline and the return of No 8 Jasper Wiese from suspension.

The swift naming of the team for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash in Wellington, after last weekend’s 24-17 defeat in Auckland, feels more pre-planned than reactionary.

There were seven changes from the 23-man squad that beat Australia 30-22 in Cape Town to the team that lost in Auckland.

And this week there are seven changes to the squad. Yet, the names of players that have been omitted suggests this selection is somewhere between a pre-tour plan and a reaction to the events from last weekend.

Handrè Pollard did not have his best day in a green-and-gold jersey, ditto for Kriel and Le Roux. De Allende was excellent, but he appeared to be injured late in the Eden Park clash and might be a health casualty rather than a tactical decision.

Erasmus was guarded when quizzed about his thinking around the changes.

“It would have been paradise if we won last weekend and were still able to make these changes,” Erasmus said from Wellington on Monday morning South African time.

“That was the plan. Not many players get the opportunity to play against the All Blacks in New Zealand. We will only play them back here (in New Zealand) in 2027.

“The plan was always to try to win in Auckland and give players the opportunity to feel the pressure of competing against the top team in the world, away from home.”

Erasmus then went on to suggest that some of the changes were a consequence of last week’s events.

“We were always going to make changes, although we probably wouldn’t have made so many,” Erasmus said. “This week’s decision is not about having fresh legs as much as it is about putting players under pressure.

“I’m not going to say who was left out based on performance. There were lots of players who didn’t perform, and there were coaches, myself included, who didn’t perform.”

New-look backs

Whether you’re a glass half full or half empty person, the new-look backline is exciting. It could be a genius selection by Erasmus, or it could implode spectacularly. It will be worth watching though.

Veteran Cobus Reinach starts at scrumhalf after a good performance from the bench last week. But outside him is where the magic could happen. They are great individual players with almost no experience as a combination.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at flyhalf, with Damian Willemse at inside centre and Canan Moodie in the No 13 jersey.

Willemse has played 12 at the Stormers and operated in the channel for the Boks for brief periods in Tests. He has never started at inside for the Boks, and he comes into the match after some shaky performances earlier in the year.

Moodie hit some good form last week, particularly on defence where he made some excellent reads. Despite the result it was an outing that would have boosted his confidence.

He also has happy memories at outside centre against the All Blacks, having delivered a sublime performance in the position when the Boks beat New Zealand 35-7 at Twickenham before Rugby World Cup 2023.

Aphelele Fassi returns to starting fullback where his strength under the high ball and superior speed to Le Roux could be vital.

Cheslin Kolbe has right wing locked down, while Ethan Hooker is preferred on the left wing.

The 22-year-old is still unknown at Test level, with a tiny sample size to assess his value. He does have the attributes though, possessing pace at 1.94m tall and weighing 98kg.

Balanced pack

Wiese’s return to No 8 gives the loose trio more balance, with Siya Kolisi back to openside flank and Pieter-Steph du Toit completing the back row.

Wiese has not played a game for eight weeks after a four-match suspension for a red card against Italy in July. He does provide power on the gain line and is a solid defender.

“Jasper has been training for the past eight weeks. He’s more like a professional trainer than a player at the moment,” Erasmus joked. “It’s good to have him back, even though he might not go the full 80 minutes.

“He’s always been one of our standout players and it’s a big Test match where we will need him.”

A year ago it would have been unthinkable that Etzebeth would be omitted from a Test against the All Blacks. Yet here we are.

Lood de Jager and Ruan Nortjé will start in the second row, in an intriguing switch for De Jager as a No 4. It also appears to be a response to the Boks’ lineout struggles.

They are currently the worst performing lineout in the Rugby Championship with a 79% success rate on their own ball. De Jager, Nortjé and Du Toit offer a varied and more athletic lineout presence.

Hooker Malcolm Marx retains his place in an unchanged front row, but the veteran admitted he needed to improve his delivery to the set piece after a difficult season.

What has been obvious from the sideline is that referees have not enforced the gap in lineouts, which has made them more unsure. But the Boks need to find a way to combat that if the officials are not going to police it properly.

“I’ve got to take some form of responsibility,” Marx said. “I need to make sure I’m hitting it in the right areas where the ball has been called.

“It (the struggles) is also down to good contesting at the same time. The All Blacks prepped really, really well, especially on our four-man lineouts.

“They deserve some credit but I need to make a step up and make sure I’m more accurate.”

Erasmus again opted for a split of five forwards and three backs on the replacements’ bench, where Marnus van der Merwe (hooker), Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Wilco Louw (props), RG Snyman (lock) and Kwagga Smith (loose forward) will provide further forward cover. The backs on the bench are halfbacks Grant Williams, Manie Libbok, and centre André Esterhuizen. DM

South Africa: 15-Aphelele Fassi, 14-Cheslin Kolbe, 13-Canan Moodie, 12-Damian Willemse, 11-Ethan Hooker, 10-Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9-Cobus Reinach, 8-Jasper Wiese, 7-Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6-Siya Kolisi (captain), 5-Ruan Nortjé, 4-Lood de Jager, 3-Thomas du Toit, 2-Malcolm Marx, 1-Ox Nché.
Replacements: 16-Marnus van der Merwe, 17-Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18-Wilco Louw, 19-RG Snyman, 20-Kwagga Smith, 21-Grant Williams, 22-Manie Libbok, 23-André Esterhuizen.