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Rassie playing games? Hints at late 7-1 bench split for Boks, Irish Test

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted the Boks could surprise the Irish later in the week with a 7-1 bench split of forwards to backs, despite calling a game 23 with a 6-2 split on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of their match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Boks shocked the rugby world when they went 7-1 in their World Cup pre-season match against the All Blacks at Twickenham last year, and it paid off in spectacular fashion as they defeated their biggest rivals 35-7.

They have since employed the tactic twice more: last year in their World Cup group match against Ireland, which they lost 13-8, and then again against the All Blacks in the decider, which they won 12-11.

It seems that Erasmus is now committed again, but it will depend on whether his preferred extra attacker is fit enough.

Mind games?

“There are one or two small hiccups (in the team). But there is a possibility that we appoint a seven-one (bench division) on Thursday. But I don’t want to elaborate too much on that now,” said Erasmus, who may also just play a game with the Irish.

Bok’s coach is helped in making that decision by the addition of all-round player Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to the bench, in place of Manie Libbok. This gives him extra options in the event of a player getting injured.

Scrumhalf Grant Williams would likely be the unlucky full-back to drop out, and loose forward Evan Roos would likely make the squad, while Ben-Jason Dixon and Phepsi Buthelezi are the other available loose players.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu covers more than one position in the backs. Photo: Paul Harding/Gallo Images

“Sacha definitely brings something to the party because of his versatility when we play six-two. That’s where Manie (the selection) was missing,” Erasmus explained.

“If our 12, 15 or 10 falls out in the match, he can immediately end up in one of those positions. Whereas Manie, who did not make it to the match 23, is purely because we went six-two.

“He doesn’t feel so comfortable at 12 or as a full-back and then we would have to change at the back, while with Sacha we don’t have to do that. So it just makes more sense to have him there.”

It’s not an unfinished business

Despite the Boks not having beaten Ireland since 2016 and losing their last three matches, two of which came in Ireland in 2017 and 2022, and at last year’s World Cup, Erasmus insisted they had no unfinished business and had instead put together a team that had to win.

“We try to stay in our reality, and our reality is that we are playing at home against a team that has beaten us in our last three games. But we don’t believe we have a score to settle because of that,” Erasmus said.

“I would rather take two World Cups and a British and Irish Lions series and accept the three losses (to Ireland). But we never go out there to lose and we certainly didn’t pick this team to go out on Saturday and lose.”







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