Springboks blood fresh team for Portugal as experienced trio set to miss Wallabies ma

[Burgs]

Wed, Jul 17, 2024, 6:23 AM
AFP

South Africa will be captained by Stormers lock Salmaan Moerat for the first time when a much-changed team plays Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday in a one-off Test.

The 26-year-old takes over the captaincy of the reigning world champions from flanker Siya Kolisi, one of many regulars being rested after a bruising, drawn two-Test series against Ireland.

"Salmaan commands respect from his teammates, so we would like to congratulate him on this achievement," head coach Rassie Erasmus said of the six-cap forward.

"We have no doubt that he will take on this responsibility as well as he has for the other teams he has led.

"He has come through the SA Rugby ranks and he went on to captain the Junior Springboks and SA Schools teams, as well as the Stormers and Western Province."

The clash with Ireland has claimed its casualties with forwards Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert and Pieter-Steph du Toit in doubt to miss the start of the Rugby Championship in August.

Speaking after naming the Springboks team to play Portugal on Saturday in a one-off Test in Bloemfontein, coach Erasmus said the trio will need "between four to six weeks to recover from injuries."

Erasmus said hooker Marx and lock Mostert have leg injuries, but did not specify what had sidelined flanker Du Toit.

South Africa begin their Rugby Championship campaign with Tests against Australia in Brisbane on August 10 and in Perth seven days later.

Erasmus had made 14 changes to the side which started against Ireland in a 25-24 loss last Saturday.

There are also five changes to the bench, meaning only Moerat, fellow lock RG Snyman, winger Kurt-Lee Arendse and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu remain from the last matchday 23.

Arendse is the lone survivor from the starting line-up that fell to the Irish in Durban with Ciaran Frawley slotting a post-hooter drop goal to win a thriller.

Erasmus has included seven uncapped players -- three starters and four replacements -- for the first meeting with the Portuguese Os Lobos (The Wolves).

Loosehead prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels, hooker Johan Grobbelaar and loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi are the three debutants set to start.

The bench includes a further four uncapped players in hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, loose forward Ruan Venter, scrum-half Morne van den Berg and utility back Quan Horn.

The wholesale changes were expected as Erasmus wants to rest regulars like Kolisi after the Ireland series.

Portugal are the only country outside the top 10-ranked sides that the Springboks will face in 13 Tests this year and this offers the four-time World Cup winners an opportunity to experiment.

Springboks (15-1): Aphelele Fassi; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach; Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Phepsi Buthelezi; RG Snyman, Salmaan Moerat (capt); Thomas du Toit, Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels

Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Trevor Nyakane, Ruan Venter, Elrigh Louw, Morne van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Quan Horn

[Burgs]

My observation of the Springboks is they are on the precipice of a rapid decline if they don't get busy with succession.
There's no denying the are still a class outfit a year on from defending their RWC title, however, the signs are starting to sneak in of a very senior group of professional athletes.
In the 30 man Squad announced in June for the current window there were 20 players +30 years and 28 players +28 years.
If you extrapolate that same Squad out to Day 1 of RWC 2027 you would have-

Age / Players
38 1
37 3
36 1
35 4
34 5
33 6
32 2
31 2
30 4
29 2
28 5
27 1
26 1
25 1
24 1

Being 28 players +30 years and 35 players +28 years.

I acknowledge that players are having longer careers than any time previous, however, I can't see this as a sustainable Squad.
Perhaps they are allowing the World Champions to go out on their own terms following a potential RC title on home grounds, but otherwise I think there may be some pretty brutal "retirements" coming into next season.
I don't think Coach Erasmus is much of one for sentimentality...

Also, out of interest given the whole "select from anywhere" mantra from some, their June Squad was made up as follows-

SA Franchises in United Rugby Championship- 25 (Sharks 10, Stormers 7, Bulls 6, Lions 2)
Other United Rugby Championship- 1
France- 3
English Premier- 2
Japan- 9

The youngest Overseas player is 28.

To compare this, given the ability for four "local" franchises holding over half the players playing in Europe, to the potential scenario for Aus and NZ where players would be spread across the globe is folly.