Rassie shows his hand for All Blacks Tests: ‘Nobody has to be cut’
An expanded Springbok squad for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series is expected to be announced sometime this week.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed that he will not be reducing his squad ahead of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series against the All Blacks. Despite fielding a team of 41 for the recent Test against Argentina, Erasmus explained that there is no need to trim the squad. Instead, he intends to add more players to reach the required 44.
Veteran forward Deon Fourie Erasmus, who returned from injury, was called up on Monday, while several other fringe players performed well during the Argentina match. Former first-choice players who were released earlier, such as Evan Roos, Embrose Papier and Andre-Hugo Venter, may still have a chance to make the final cut. However, injuries to players like Ox Nche, Franco Mostert, Vincent Tshituka and captain Siya Kolisi will need to be addressed before the first Test against New Zealand on their home soil.
Erasmus stated that the team selection for the first Test, scheduled for next weekend, is just two weeks away, and the coaching staff will carefully assess the squad's fitness and make the necessary decisions to maximize their chances against the All Blacks.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
