Springboks team for third Test against All Blacks: Arendse in for injured Willemse
The series is level at 1-1 after the Boks won the second Test in Cape Town, after the All Blacks won at Ellis Park in the first Test.
South Africa's Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus unveiled his team for Saturday's third Test against New Zealand's All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The match kicks off at 5.10pm. The series is currently tied 1-1 after the All Blacks secured a victory in the first Test at Ellis Park, while the Boks triumphed in the second Test in Cape Town on Saturday. The fourth Test of the series is scheduled for next week in Baltimore, USA.
Erasmus opted to start Cheslin Kolbe at fullback instead of the wing position, replacing the injured Damian Willemse. Kurt-Lee Arendse took Damon's place on the wing. Ethan Hooker will play on the other wing. Erasmus repeated the same starting front row as he did a week ago for the FNB Stadium match, though he swapped his front rows an hour before kick-off last weekend.
Erasmus clarified on Monday that this decision was made to maintain consistency in player combinations for this series. He explained that sticking to these combinations and making a minor switch with Kolbe at fullback was the best decision for this particular match. Kolbe was fortunate to play this weekend after recovering from a minor injury.
The coach praised Kolbe's skills, noting his 25 tries in 33 matches so far, which highlights the type of player he is. Erasmus stated that he believes Kolbe is a quality player, and his consistent performance shows his potential.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
