Rassie hits ’emergency button’ for second Bok Test against All Blacks
· Citizen
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said he “had a different team in mind” for their second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday.
But defeat in the first Test, and several injuries, have forced him to “push the emergency button” in calling up 39-year-old Deon Fourie, and goal-kicker Handré Pollard – both heroes of the 2023 World Cup final against the All Blacks.
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These are two of six changes, with regular captain Siya Kolisi also in line to make a return, should he pass a fitness test on Monday.
He would replace Paul de Villiers in a straight switch, seeing the youngster removed from the matchday 23.
Erasmus said Kolisi may even take the captaincy armband from Pieter-Steph du Toit, who plays in his 100th Test match, while Ox Nché plays his 50th.
‘Our backs against the wall’
Manie Libbok moves out of the matchday 23 but Erasmus backed him to play the remaining two Tests in Soweto and Baltimore.
“It’s not a good position to be in. We have our backs against the wall,” Erasmus said.
“The one thing I can say is that we have been in this position many times.
“That doesn’t make it easier. It just helps us to know that we have been there before and we can fight our way out of it.”
Compounding the Boks’ woes was Cheslin Kolbe’s cramp on Saturday proving to be more than that – an ankle injury.
Also, Canan Moodie pulled his hamstring, Grant Williams hurt his ankle, and Ben-Jason Dixon showed concussion symptoms.
Springboks call on Pollard, Fourie against All Blacks
“We hoped to win the first Test match and try some people. Unfortunately, there are a couple of changes we wouldn’t have made. And others we wanted to make but [couldn’t] because of the injury situation.”
Erasmus said rain was expected in Cape Town, and without Kolbe, who had proven their in-form goal-kicker lately, the Springboks turned to Pollard.
“Handré has always been a guy who’s done it for us,” the Springbok coach said.
“People ask why he’s [Kolbe] kicking but when we see at training one guy is kicking better than the other, we let that guy kick because he is in form. Now with Cheslin out… we think Handré is a good fit.”
The coach said they had also learned their lesson to take the three points on offer.
Regarding Fourie’s inclusion a month before he turns 40, Erasmus said he had a list on his laptop for the squad, another for standby players such as Evan Roos and Embrose Papier, and a third list for tried-and-tested players who were older or more injury-prone, such as Frans Malherbe and Deon Fourie.
The coach said Fourie was not match fit, but played well for the Stormers and covered hooker, both flanking positions, and eighthman, which would help if Kolisi needed to be taken off and to allow André Esterhuizen to move from flanker to centre.
“It gives us more options, more leadership and calmness. He was always in that bracket where if we sometimes have to push the emergency button, he’s one of those players.”