Erasmus Is Refusing To Rest Du Toit Against Wales
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted he faced massive temptation to rest powerhouse flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit for Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against Wales in Durban.
However, the mastermind tactician insisted the blindside flanker desperately needs game time ahead of South Africa’s looming showdown against arch-rivals New Zealand next month.
On Monday, Erasmus has named a bold starting XV for the Kings Park encounter, handing Test debuts to an exciting quartet: winger Jaco Williams, flyhalf Vusi Moyo, lock Ruben van Heerden, and prop Carlu Sadie.
Yet, despite the widespread experimentation, resting Du Toit was quickly ruled out. The two-time World Rugby Player of the Year missed a significant portion of his club season due to injury, leaving him short of the optimal match fitness required for the high-intensity winter schedule.
As one of the most vital cogs in the Springbok machine, Du Toit has been pushed to carry a heavy workload this season. He has started every fixture so far, anchoring a formidable loose trio alongside Paul de Villiers and number eight Jasper Wiese. With regular skipper Siya Kolisi and veteran lock Eben Etzebeth both sidelined through injuries, Du Toit also retains the captain’s armband for the clash on Saturday.
Wales face a daunting task against the double world champions, who are currently riding a spectacular five-match winning streak against the Dragons.
While the Dragons can take historical confidence from their historic 2022 victory in Bloemfontein—their first-ever win on South African soil—Erasmus is refusing to take his foot off the gas.
He believes pulling Du Toit from the firing line now would be counter-productive to the team’s long-term preparation.
“That is a good question,” Erasmus acknowledged at Monday’s press conference when quizzed about a potential rest for his captain.
“But if you look at Pieter’s last year, he hasn’t played a lot. If you look at the last four weeks, he has played every game.
“You don’t want to under-clamp when he goes against New Zealand. He is a guy who hasn’t played a lot in the last six months. Now, he has played five in a row if he plays this weekend.”
While he sits out the rotation this weekend, there is a strong possibility that Du Toit will be rested for the upcoming tour to Buenos Aires to face a dangerous Argentina side in three weeks.
“He will probably be one guy who will not travel to Argentina, which will give him a solid two weeks of rest,” Erasmus added. “His injuries are holding up well, but he definitely wasn’t match-fit in our opening game against the Barbarians. He is getting better with every single game, and that is exactly how we are managing him.”
With 97 Test caps to his name, Du Toit will run out as the second most-experienced player in the squad this weekend, trailing just one cap behind center Damian de Allende, who earns his 98th cap on Saturday.
