Erasmus Makes Two Changes As Springboks Name Team For France Test

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has shown faith in the players who guided South Africa to victory over Italy in their second Nations Championship Northern Series Test, making just two changes to his matchday 23 for Friday’s clash against France in Paris.

The changes see Wilco Louw promoted to the starting line-up, while Cobus Reinach has been included among the replacements.

Louw will join Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx in the front row in the only change to the starting XV. Thomas du Toit will link up with Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Gerhard Steenekamp among the replacements, while Reinach comes in for Grant Williams as the other change to the bench.

Lood de Jager and Ruan Nortje will once again partner in the second row after Erasmus was forced to make a late adjustment to his matchday squad in Turin last week. Salmaan Moerat withdrew after experiencing back spasms during the warm-up.

The experienced loose trio of captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese will complete the Springbok forward pack.

Erasmus has retained an unchanged backline, with Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu forming the halfback pairing, Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende occupying the midfield, and Ethan Hooker, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse completing the back three.

The Bok coach has also maintained the six-two split between forwards and backs on the bench.

Utility forward Franco Mostert and loose forwards Cameron Hanekom and Paul de Villiers will provide additional firepower alongside the front row of Wessels, Steenekamp and Du Toit.

Reinach, who provides cover at scrumhalf and wing, and Manie Libbok have been named as the two backline replacements.

A total of 16 players in the matchday 23 featured in the Springboks’ 32-17 victory over France in Paris last year. This includes the entire starting forward pack, with the exception of Nche, as well as five members of the starting backline: Feinberg-Mngomezulu, De Allende, Kriel and Willemse.

Ten players in the squad were also part of the team that defeated France 29-28 in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

“We said from the outset that we would not rotate too much on this tour, so it was always our intention to select a settled squad for this game to build momentum in the competition,” said Erasmus.

“Most of these players have faced France at home and know what to expect from them. They have also experienced their passionate and vocal crowd first-hand.”

Explaining the two changes to his matchday squad, Erasmus said:

“Our front rows are well settled and have all been playing together for a few seasons, so we made a rotational switch with Wilco and Thomas.

“Cobus is also very familiar with the French conditions, having played club rugby here, so we thought bringing him into the mix would be good against a quality French outfit.”

Erasmus explains Etzebeth’s omission

Erasmus also explained his decision not to include Eben Etzebeth in the matchday squad after the experienced lock arrived in France early on Monday morning.

“Eben has just arrived in France, and although we know what he brings to the team, we feel it would be better for him to get back into the swing of things this week after spending some time on the sidelines,” Erasmus explained.

“Lood and Franco are also very experienced players, and they have been training with us for almost two weeks now after arriving in Italy the week before last week’s Test match.

“They have both faced France in high-pressure matches and delivered, so we know what they bring to the team and what they can offer us this week.”

Erasmus expects another fierce battle against France

The Bok coach is expecting a massive encounter against France, who pushed South Africa to the limit in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final and again during last year’s Castle Lager Outgoing Tour.

The Springboks held a narrow one-point lead at half-time in that encounter before securing victory, and Erasmus anticipates another fiercely contested battle on Friday.

“Matches between us and France are always intense, and this week will be no different,” said Erasmus.

“Both teams have everything to play for, with France leading the Northern Hemisphere standings and the team ranked fourth in the world. We are in a similar situation, trying to hold on to the top positions in our respective Nations Championship hemisphere tables.

“This match is therefore vital for both sides as we look to advance to the final of the competition in a few weeks.

“They also always have a passionate crowd behind them that will definitely fuel their team, but we also enjoy the atmosphere at the Stade de France, so neither team will give an inch.

“Our focus, though, is on what we want to do as a team. It will therefore be vital to execute our game plan accurately and make the most of the scoring opportunities we create.

“They have a good pack of forwards and dangerous backs, so we need to be at our best to get the desired result.”