Boks expect France to shuffle backline in wake of flyhalf crisis
Head coach Rassie Erasmus believes Lucu and Gourgues will swop positions, but the Boks won't take an injury-hit France side lightly.
South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus predicts France will shuffle their backline ahead of their match against the Springboks in Paris on Friday. Instead of moving flyhalf Maxime Lucu to the 10 position, scrumhalf Kalvin Gourgues is expected to take over the flyhalf role. This comes after France suffered injuries to several key players, including Romain Ntamack, Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Hastoy, and Thomas Ramos, all of whom are currently injured.
Lucu filled in as the playmaker during Ntamack's absence in the second half of France's recent victory over Fiji. Erasmus believes France will opt for a more physical approach with Gourgues as their flyhalf, while the Springboks will also leverage their physicality to gain an early advantage. The coach emphasized that both teams will be trying to establish dominance from the outset.
Erasmus doesn't see France being favorites due to their injury issues, noting that South Africa is also dealing with a number of injuries, including Frans Malherbe, RG Snyman, Eben Etzebeth, Kwagga Smith, André Esterhuizen, Handré Pollard, and Cheslin Kolbe, all of whom could be contenders for the upcoming World Cup. The Springboks, who are at the end of their season, understand that injuries are a part of the game, and they won't underestimate France despite their current challenges.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
