Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus Clarifies Late Selection of Eben Etzebeth
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has clarified why the late inclusion of Eben Etzebeth in the team to face the All Blacks this Saturday did not violate the team’s established selection policy.
Initially, when Erasmus announced the squad on Tuesday, Etzebeth was omitted due to a minor injury concern. However, it was later confirmed that Etzebeth had been cleared to play against New Zealand, and on Wednesday, he was added to the bench, replacing Marco van Staden.
The decision to include Etzebeth at the last minute was understandable, but it raised questions about the selection policy Erasmus has adhered to since taking charge of the Springboks. According to this policy, the team is informed of the selection on Sunday, and any player unable to participate in Monday’s training is typically ruled out for that week’s game.
Initially, it appeared that Etzebeth fell under this rule. However, it was later confirmed that he had participated fully in Monday’s training session without any issues, making him eligible for selection after passing further fitness tests.
“Our selection policy has always been that if a player does not train on Monday, he will not play on Saturday,” Erasmus explained. “But Eben has trained pain-free all week, so we had to make the tough call to include him in the squad at Marco’s expense.”
Erasmus acknowledged that the original squad had backup options for the lock position, but with Etzebeth on the bench, the team benefits from having another specialist in that role.
“We are fortunate to have a squad of about 45 players who are fully committed to our plans and understand what’s best for the team. Marco accepted the decision with great professionalism, which speaks volumes about his character,” Erasmus added.
If Etzebeth takes the field, this Test will mark his 125th appearance in the green and gold jersey, surpassing Bryan Habana as the second most-capped Springbok of all time and bringing him closer to Victor Matfield’s record of 127 caps.
Revised Springbok Team Named by Rassie on Wednesday:
Springboks (updated): 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.
Stats and Facts:
Springbok record against New Zealand: Played: 106, Won: 40, Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1,741; Points against: 2,196; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 240. Win %: 37.7%
In other news, Erasmus released four players on Wednesday afternoon—Steven Kitshoff (prop), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Canan Moodie, and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings)—to their provincial unions to get game time in the Carling Currie Cup this weekend.
