While South Africa must face Ireland this Saturday, September 23 in Saint-Denis, Rassie Erasmus returned to the possibility of once again composing a bench with seven forwards and only a three-quarter. A very likely arrangement for the Springboks rugby director.
The clash of this group stage is fast approaching: first against second in the World Rugby world rankings. Ireland against South Africa, great people on the field and no less in the stands. Rassie Erasmus, ex-Springboks coach and now performance director, has accustomed us to his escapades, like when he strongly criticized the refereeing of Waynes Barnes, on the sidelines of the match against France at the Vélodrome. But also his innovative ideas, on this side nothing to reproach him for. In 2019, he led his team to the world title, even though he had recovered a group from the brink of collapse a few months earlier.
“The seven-one option is entirely possible”
This summer, in a warm-up match against the All-Blacks, Erasmus, for example, proposed a bench of seven forwards for a single three-quarter. A decision as daring as it paid off, since the Springboks had swept the Blacks 35 to 7. Since then, the idea has not crossed his mind, but against Ireland, this Saturday in Saint-Denis, “lThe seven-one option is entirely possiblee”, he announced at a press conference. A tactic which could well require some redevelopment work to consolidate the Stade de France bench!
If such an armada emerges among the Springbok replacements, “you have to have players like Kwagga Smith, who is used to playing sevenadmits Rassie Erasmus, who continues, on the other hand, there are guys like Johnny Sexton, who is able to exploit this situation when there is an injury quite early in the game“. We could therefore well have the right to have the right to this famous “7-1”, the idea is not yet decided. The injuries of Malcolm Marx, forfeited until the end of the World Cup, and of Eben Etzebeth , who is recovering from shoulder discomfort, could however well force the South African staff to favor a more classic “6-2”.
Handre Pollard preserved against Ireland
To remedy the injury to hooker Marx, flyhalf Handre Pollard was called up, a decision at first glance strange. The latter has never proven himself in closed scrum, nor on throws in touch for that matter. The choice is in truth explained by the absence of a reliable scorer in this team, if Manie Libbok is so far excellent in the game, he has shown himself to be failing against the poles, just like his teammate Faf De Klerk. Then, Pollard, who had been kept off the field until now by an injury, arrives like the messiah. If he doesn’t intend to multiply the loaves, he could well do so with the points and perhaps even make his opponents lose their sight. But his miracles will wait, since he “will not be in the team this week” announced Erasmus.
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Rugby World Cup 2023 – Why Handré Pollard’s return will change South Africa’s game
For the moment all South African heads are directed towards Ireland, a match which should determine the opponent of the French XV in the quarter-finals. So Fabien we’re counting on you, put on your glasses and unravel the mystery of these two green giants.
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