Rassie Erasmus, head coach of the Springboks, named a settled team for the test against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, featuring nine changes from the team that defeated Ireland 24-13 in Dublin last week.
Several players have returned to their clubs and provincial unions, as the match falls outside the international window, which required Erasmus to make eight personnel changes and one positional switch to his run-on team, while his bench has a new look to it, with three players who played last week being named among the replacements.
“We knew from the outset that we would lose players for this match due to their club commitments, and we are pleased with the quality of the team we’ve selected,” said Erasmus.
“We’ve been rotating our players throughout the year, and this group has been together for close to five weeks, so many of these combinations are fully settled, while others, such as Zachary and Asenathi, have shown what they are capable of this season, and we are excited that they will receive another chance to play.
“I’d like to thank the provincial unions and clubs who released these players to represent the country this weekend, so we could field a strong side capable of finishing off our November tour on a high note.”
Erasmus added: “We’ve used a total of 49 players in Test matches this season, which is a testament to the depth we have been developing with an eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup.”
Erasmus was delighted to see Reinach, who made his Test debut in 2014, reach the significant milestone of playing 50 Tests: “Cobus is a true team man, and he’s been a stand-out player for us this season and over the years, so we are delighted to see him earn this achievement.
“He’s patiently waited for his chances and grabbed every opportunity with both hands, so to see him achieve this at 35 years old makes it an even more remarkable feat.”
Commenting on the decision to opt for a seven-one split on the bench for the match, Erasmus said: “The composition of the bench was a combination of the availability of players we had for this match, but also given how well our pack has performed this season, and we believe it will be a key area of the match on Saturday.”
Erasmus expected Wales to present a stern challenge, despite also losing several players to club duty and said: “Both teams were in a similar situation with regards to the availability of players, but they have a balanced squad with a few seasoned players and several younger guys who will be desperate to make a statement.
“So, we are expecting them to come out firing and to throw everything at us. This is also the last match of the year for both teams, so there’s no doubt they’ll give everything to finish their season on a high note and try to improve their world ranking with the RWC draw coming up next week.”