The Springboks are kicking their succession planning into high gear when they take on Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday evening.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus is kicking his succession planning into high gear as the Boks prepare to take on Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Imagestakes on Portugal in a one-off Test match at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday evening.for the game, with World Cup winners like Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Andre Esterhuizen, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cobus Reinach, Manie Libbok and Thomas du Toit all in the starting XV.
“This is a team that if they had played against Ireland last weekend it would have been a tight Test match. And that is what we want.”The game is a massive opportunity for the Bok fringe players to impress the coaching staff and put their hand up for selection to the squad that will battle it out in the Rugby Championship from next month.
“We want to have two guys in every position pushing each other and to also have a young guy knocking on the door wanting to come through,” explained Erasmus. “I want these guys to be proud of playing for the Springboks against Portugal. A guy like Eben Etzebeth who has over 120 caps, has Namibia and Romania somewhere in there. So a Test cap is a Test cap.”Erasmus added that Portugal is not a team that can be underestimated and if any of the new or inexperienced players took the game lightly, the Bok management would immediately see that they aren’t cut out for Test rugby.
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