daniel chigunwe
As the Springboks gear up for a highly anticipated showdown against England at Twickenham this Saturday, head coach Rassie Erasmus appears poised to bring back his star players.
Following a convincing 32-15 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield, where Erasmus made 11 changes to the squad, the world champions will look to strengthen their line-up for what promises to be a challenging encounter against a reeling English team. The stakes are high for both teams.
After suffering two consecutive losses to Southern Hemisphere rivals — New Zealand and Australia — Steve Borthwick’s England side will be desperate to turn their fortunes around.
The Springboks, who triumphed over England in the semi-final of last year’s World Cup, are eager to compound their opponent’s woes and extend their winning streak on this tour.
Reflecting on the forthcoming match, Erasmus noted that the English will pose a significant challenge, especially given their current crisis of confidence.
“England will be a different challenge as we will be facing a desperate team that comes off two losses in matches they could have won,” he emphasised.
The South African coach rested several key players for the clash against Scotland, opting instead for a mix of fresh talent. However, with Twickenham on the horison, fans are likely to see the return of the record-holding centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
Hot-stepping wingers Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse also missed out on a piece of Scotland alongside in-form fullback Aphelele Fassi, while loose trio Pieter-Steph du Toit, captain Siya Kolisi and Jasper Wiese played off the replacement bench.
They could all be recalled to the starting team, but all eyes will be on the flyhalf and fullback for the Boks and which players Erasmus selects for Saturday.
The performance of veteran flyhalf Handre Pollard and the experienced Willie le Roux will be under scrutiny as the Boks aim to amplify their game. Pollard excelled in the match against Scotland, and Le Roux’s seasoned presence added depth to the South African attack.
Despite the victory in Edinburgh, Erasmus expressed mixed feelings about the performance, which he felt did not do justice to the team’s potential.
“It was certainly not a performance we were proud of.”
“It was certainly not a performance we were proud of. The scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story,” he reflected, underscoring the need for improvement ahead of the tougher test at Twickenham.
Captain Eben Etzebeth echoed these sentiments, pointing out that while the team set high standards for itself, there were areas that required focus and refinement.
“We want to keep on performing. At the end of the day, it was a good win to beat them by that margin,” Etzebeth acknowledged, but he was clear that the side needs to strive for better outcomes on the field.
“There will be some harsh words, but also some good words. You need that in a professional team environment.” — IOL
Bongani Ndlovu