Rassie Erasmus has shown his World Cup hand by naming what seems to be his first group to the Springboks’ closing World Cup warm-up against Japan.
The group shows one change in the starting XV that drew 16-16 with the All Blacks in Wellington in July, an outcome that paved the way for the first Rugby Championship title in a couple of years of South Africa.
The Springboks carry on their old rivals in Yokohama in their tournament opener on September 21, and the side Erasmus named for Friday’s warm-up appears likely to be one to take the field in just two weeks’ time as the Boks go in hunt of a third World Cup title.
The change to this Wellington team sees skipper Siya Kolisi favored to Kwagga Smith at openside flank. Last month, kolisi was hurt for South Africa’s Rugby Championship campaign but forced his return in their World Cup warm-up against Argentina in Pretoria.
Kolisi is combined at the back row Pieter-Steph du Toit, who makes his 50th Test appearance and by Duane Vermeulen. Du Toit’s first launch in the Green and Gold came from Japan from the 2015 World Cup, when the Springboks endured the biggest shock in the championship’s history in a 34-32 loss in Brighton.
Erasmus explained the side represents how desperate the Boks would be to prevent another embarrassing defeat to the Brave Blossoms while Erasmus may be giving his team a run-out before they take on the the All Blacks.
“it is my hope that this selection will send a powerful message that we’ve got the utmost regard for Japan,” said Erasmus.
“Perhaps we made the error of complacency against them previously but we have been beating the message that we should never do that against Japan.
“They’re a intelligent group of great athletes, playing in the home, having won a name in the past month and now desperate to show something. This Test is as big a challenge as any we have had this year.
“They even made a movie about the last time they played with us – it’s our job to make certain that there’s no sequel.”
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 1 Steven Kitshoff, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel.
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