Front row switcheroo wasn’t planned beforehand, says Bok coach Rassie
The Springboks pulled a scrum switcheroo shortly before the second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town.
In a surprising moment during Saturday's Rugby match, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus revealed that the team's decision to switch the front row at the last minute was not part of their original plan. The Boks secured a 33-26 victory over the All Blacks at the Cape Town Stadium, with Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, and Wilco Louw initially named as the starting front row.
However, 45 minutes before kickoff, the team sheet showed Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie, and Thomas du Toit starting in the front row, which seemed to benefit their performance. Erasmus explained that the change in weather conditions was the reason for the late switch, as the predictions for wet weather had led them to select a heavier front row for the first half.
With the weather drying up closer to the game, Erasmus decided to bring in a lighter front row, which he believed would perform better on the dry field. Early changes included Steenekamp and Fourie, who were replaced by Nche and Marx in the 36th minute, and Du Toit played until the 57th minute before coming off for Louw. Erasmus emphasized that the decision to replace the players was based on their productivity on the field and not part of the original plan.
As the series is now tied at one-all, the Boks and All Blacks will return to Johannesburg for the third Test, followed by the final game in the USA.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
