Rassie Erasmus has kept the All Blacks guessing by making what should prove to be six winning changes to his Springbok team for Saturday’s round four Rugby Championship encounter at Cape Town Stadium.
Saturday 07 August
South Africa 5/10 | Draw 20/1 | New Zealand 17/10
Handicap
SA (-5.5) 9/10 | NZ (+5.5) 9/10
Victory for South Africa would hand them the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009 and all but secure this season’s Rugby Championship title.
Erasmus and his coaching staff made the unusual decision to delay their team announcement until Thursday, with a number of players, including Siya Kolisi, nursing injuries from the Boks’ dramatic 31-27 win over the Kiwis in the last round.
In the end, the skipper has been named to start. However, several of the heroes from Ellis Park miss out due to either a knock or tactical switch, with the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse (concussion) and Aphelele Fassi (positional change) not included in the matchday squad.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu takes up a spot on the bench in a traditional five/ three split, with Handre Pollard back at No 10 and set to play in his well-established duel-playmaking combination with Willie Le Roux, who starts at fullback.
Whatever plans All Blacks coach Scott Robertson had to contain the double world champions after last week will likely have been made obsolete after the Boks’ unpredictable starting lineup was named.
However, he will still rely on the four changes he has made to spark something different in the Cape.
Beauden Barrett and TJ Perenara drop to the bench, with Will Jordan at fullback and Sevu Reece combining with Mark Tele’a out wide.
Inexperienced Cortez Ratima starts at No.9 as the side’s two best players in Joburg, Ethan Blackadder and Caleb Clarke, both miss out through injury. Wallace Sititi has come in as Blackadder’s replacement.
As good as youngsters Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Fassi were last week, the Kiwis may still have devised ways to exploit them in the rematch.
Moreover, the reintroduction of Pollard and Le Roux seems a masterstroke by the Bok coaches and should ultimately make the difference come the final whistle.
Verdict: South Africa on the minus
Get on Kolisi’s men to make it four in a row over the old rival in the Cape by collecting an even bigger win this weekend.
Kick-off is at 17:00.
Get ready for a rugby showdown like no other! 🏉
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 5, 2024
It’s the homecoming match between the Springboks and the All Blacks at the DHL Stadium, and it’s set to be a spectacular clash of titans 🧬🇿🇦#ForeverGreenForeverGold#Springboks pic.twitter.com/uTqXv6EW3J
