Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus believes Saturday’s clash against the Barbarians offers a crucial opportunity to assess new talent, reintegrate overseas-based players, and fine-tune the squad’s systems ahead of a packed Test season.
With four uncapped players named and several Springbok stars returning from injury, Erasmus is using the high-profile fixture to test depth and refine combinations before the start of the incoming mid-year series.
BARBARIANS CLASH ALLOWS RASSIE TO BLOOD IN NEW SPRINGBOKS
Speaking ahead of the encounter at Cape Town Stadium, Erasmus outlined the strategic value of the non-Test fixture in South Africa’s broader 2024 plans.
“We’ve said over the last few weeks that this match will provide the ideal opportunity to get the Japanese-based players and a few other players back into full match-mode for the incoming mid-year series,” said the Springboks boss. “We also have the opportunity to see first-hand how a few of the newer players in the squad perform at this level, so we are excited to see what this group can do.”
PLAYER WORD-LOAD MANAGEMENT VITAL IN SELECTION CHOICES
Erasmus explained that Springbok squad selection for the Barbarians match took player workload into account, especially following the recent URC and English Premiership finals.
“With a handful of players having participated in the URC Grand Final and Handré in the Premiership Final, they lost out on over a week of training,” he said.
“So it was our plan from the outset to select players who we have been working with for the last few weeks and who are already functioning well within our structures. That said, we are planning to rotate our squad throughout the season to manage the players, and we are pleased with the depth we have within this group.”
The match also sees the return of key players from injury, including Lood de Jager, Faf de Klerk and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
“Lood is in great form and hopped straight back into the thick of things with the intensity and work rate that we are used to seeing him deliver,” Erasmus said. “We are thrilled to see him and players like Faf and Sacha back from injury.”
RASSIE ERASMUS’ SIDE READY TO SLAY BARBARIANS
Looking ahead to the Barbarians themselves, Erasmus expects a challenge despite the invitational side’s limited preparation time.
“A whole lot of players in this squad have played for the Baabaas, and I’ve also coached them before, so we have an idea of what to expect,” he said.
“They don’t have much time to train together, but if one looks at the calibre of players they’ve announced and the history between the teams, we know it’s going to take a top-class effort to get the desired result.”
“That said, we are pleased with how our preparations are going. The Springboks’ focus in this match will be to get our structures and systems in place for the Test matches coming up. So, this is a vital game for us.”
WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE MATCH BETWEEN THE BARBARIANS AND SPRINGBOKS?
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