Springboks could make late change

Throughout this season, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been only too happy to mix and match with his selections, and that has proved to be the case once again this week.

The Springboks have made nine changes for this Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks, but on Tuesday, Erasmus admitted there could be another alteration before kick off – and it would be a hugely positive one.

When asked about the absence of powerhouse lock Eben Etzebeth, Erasmus explained that the centurion lock could still be called into the team, at the expense of one of the replacement flanks.

“We announced on Monday morning internally, with Eben out, because our policy is that if you can’ train on a Monday, you can’t play on a Saturday or Sunday,” Erasmus said. “But then Eben goes and does the whole training session on Monday.

“I have to look at how this afternoon goes and then have a chat with all the players tonight. We might make a change, because he might have miraculously recovered, and the doc says there is some science behind that, it’s not just the will to play or the occasion.

“If that’s the case, we will be too happy. It will be very unlucky for one of Marco, Elrigh and Kwagga to be left out. It will be a call between the three of them. We will think clearly and see how Pieter-Steph moves and tonight we will make the call.”

Erasmus explained that Etzebeth had suffered a twisted knee during a live scrumming session, but had avoided tearing any ligaments.

“It’s a meniscus. It’s just from changing one foot to the other in the scrum on his own, it’s not like someone ran onto his knee and he got a tear,” Erasmus said.

“He twisted his knee a little bit in a scrum session. Hopefully the mechanics don’t show big trauma.”

Hear what the Springbok coach had to say below:

How the team will line up:

Springboks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.