Rassie On De Jager’s Suspension: It’s Not Nice

Multiple-time Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has voiced his disappointment over the suspension of lock Lood de Jager, confirming that the experienced forward will remain with the squad to assist with preparations despite being unavailable for selection.

Erasmus added that it will be De Jager who lodges the appeal against his suspension, confirming that the lock will be unavailable for the clash against Ireland next weekend.

De Jager, who has endured a series of setbacks in his career — including missing South Africa’s 2023 Rugby World Cup triumph due to injury and health issues — has been handed a four-match ban after his shoulder struck the face of France fullback Thomas Ramos during an intense encounter at the Stade de France on Saturday.

The Springbok forward was shown a red card for the incident, which occurred just before half-time. Despite being reduced to 14 men, the Boks held their composure to secure a hard-fought victory over the French.

“The decision on whether to appeal rests with Lood,” Erasmus said, as he was announcing the squad to face Italy on Thursday.

“He’ll stay with us to help prepare. He’s had one red card, no yellow cards, and a lot has happened in his personal life. It’s not nice, but we’ll make a plan.”

Knowing nothing further can be done regarding the suspensions the squad has encountered, Erasmus said, “It is what it is – we’ve dealt with similar situations in the past with players like Makazole Mapimpi and Jan-Hendrik Wessels.”

Despite De Jager’s absence, Erasmus is confident the Springboks have sufficient depth in the position and won’t need to call in reinforcements. 

The Boks next face Italy at Allianz Stadium, the home of Italian football giants Juventus, in Turin on Saturday.  

“We won’t call up anyone else – we’re 33 guys in the camp and we feel we have enough locks to cover us. This is the size of a World Cup squad, and that’s more games than this five-week tour.”

Erasmus highlighted the breakdown as a crucial area ahead of the clash with Italy, praising their technical ability in that department.

“Italy is really good at breakdown – we did not just get frustrated, but we were outplayed at the breakdown with their ability,” Erasmus admitted. “They have a strong focus, and they technically know when to do it really well. That is something we will try to sort out.”

He also explained the thinking behind his front-row selections, noting injuries and rotation management.

“When you lose a guy like Ox Nche, Ntuthuko Mchunu hasn’t played much rugby, plus losing Lood, we had to plan carefully. We’re saving Thomas du Toit for the Ireland Test because we won’t have him against Wales,” Erasmus said. 

“Boan Venter has seven caps, Johan Grobelaar six – both have done well. Zach Porthen has played once. There’s good security on the bench with Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw, who always play well together.”

Ever a student of the game with an eye on revolutionising the way rugby is played and thought of, Erasmus confirmed that Marco Van Staden will provide cover at hooker, although he will be starting as eighth-man.

“Marco will cover hooker – he’s done it before for us, even against Tonga at the last World Cup. We’ll use him much like we use Andre (Esterhuizen).” Erasmus admitted that it requires a slow build-up. 

“You first do it for the Barbarians, then against a tier-two side, then a stronger nation.”

Knowing this might be a gamble, the World Cup-winning coach added, “Marco is in the position where, if he gets through it well, playing hooker for a couple of minutes, that’s another box ticked, but it might also backfire on us and we’ll know if it doesn’t work, we’ll need to make another plan.”

Erasmus stressed that the team chosen for this Test was selected out of respect for Italy and to give emerging players like Porthen and Venter another opportunity to gain experience.

“We learnt our lesson against France at the last World Cup,” he explained. “When we played England the next game with the same team, with a 5-3 bench split, we looked weak. We had to grind out that game.”

“It’s more out of respect that we are fielding this side compared to the team that is physically hammered after France. Most of the guys didn’t play more than 40 minutes, if they played at all. The less-capped, younger guys will have to play this great Italian side and try to win. It will be a very close game, and it will tell us a lot about the players.”

Erasmus also spoke about the midfield pairing of Ethan Hooker and Canan Moodie – a combination that could shape the Springboks’ future.

“Ethan will tell you his favourite position is 12,” he said, “Canan’s hero is Danie Gerber, he’ll say 13 – Canan has done great things at 13 and we want to give him a chance there, we want to give Jesse [Kriel] a rest. Canan is just as comfortable at wing. Ethan plays at 13 or wing while his preferred position is 12. The physical battle against France took a lot out of the guys, and the travel schedule with the early morning flights and bus trips was very tough.”

A brimming Erasmus enthused, “They are young and they are playing in the positions they really want to play in.”

The Springbok coach was adamant that while training can’t simulate match situations,  certain areas like scrums can. Erasmus pointed out the week-on-week improvement made by Porthen, scrumming against Steenekamp, and mentioned that two combinations that helped the group were training and the cohesion with which players are switching positions.

Asked about the growing praise the Springboks have been receiving globally, Erasmus maintained his humility and remained grounded.

“We have three realities – what the opposition thinks, what the media and outsiders think, and what our team knows to be true,” he said. “We try to keep our reality as close to the truth as possible.”

Always one to exude love when speaking about his nation, the astute coach concluded, saying, “We care deeply about what South Africans think. We want our country to be proud of us and to love us the way we love them. We play for them. The outside noise sometimes praises us, but the moment we lose, we’re considered bad again. The reality is we analyse the team we play and we stay focused on what’s real.”