The Springboks mixed and matched with their selections for their season-opener against the Barbarians, but some first-choice players are now expected to come back into the mix for this weekend’s clash against Italy.
Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Bongi Mbonambi are among those expected to return to the starting line up, with the Springbok team set to be named around 15:30 on Tuesday, 1 July.
The Springboks travelled to Johannesburg on Sunday and will begin their preparations for their opening Incoming Series match – against Italy at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday – in Johannesburg on Monday.
More surprises to come for Springboks against Italy?
This past weekend, the Springboks unveiled another bit of innovation as regular centre Andre Esterhuizen was moved from the backline to the side of the scrum in the second half.
Esterhuizen said discussions about doubling up as a forward and a back have been in the pipeline for a while.
“It was a good experience,” Esterhuizen said about the switch from centre to flanker. “I obviously trained there this week and enjoyed it, and I believe it is a good attribute for the future.”
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus likened Esterhuizen’s ability to play as a centre and flanker to that of former Blitzbok star Kwagga Smith, who is able to cover all three positions in the loose trio and play on the wing.
Commenting on how the move came about, Esterhuizen said: “Rassie obviously spoke to me about it, and we came to an agreement. I said I’d like to try it because it offers so much more options. I’ve been waiting for this conversation to come up for some time because it has been raised in the past.
“As one gets older you learn how you can slot into different positions, and it helps to get into the team more constantly. One needs to learn to adapt as a player, so I’m looking forward to how it can work out.”
Asked if he had any reservations about the bold move, Esterhuizen said he would not have done it if he wasn’t willing.
“I’m definitely keen to learn and to slot into a bit of a hybrid role that can cover the forwards and backs,” he said.
“I think it will help me as a player personally and it will help the team as well, so hopefully we will see more of that in the future.”
What do you think of this latest innovation?
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