Eben Etzebeth in training, alongside his teammate Vincent Koch. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Just over 24 hours after being left out of the Springbok team to take on the All Blacks in a Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park on Saturday, key lock Eben Etzebeth has been included in the match-23.
The veteran second row forward who has played 124 Tests was cleared to play after completing all the team’s training sessions this week and will now play off the bench in the crunch match.
Marco van Staden, who was initially named in the squad on the bench, makes way for Etzebeth.
Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje will start the match as the lock pairing.
“Our selection policy has always been that if a player does not train on a Monday he will not play on Saturday, but Eben has made it through training pain-free all week, so we had to make the tough call to name him in the squad at the expense of Marco,” said Erasmus on Wednesday.
“There were back-up options for us at lock in the initial squad, but with Eben on the bench it means we have another specialist in that position in the team.
“We are blessed to have an expanded squad of about 45 players who have all bought into our plans and who understand what’s best for the team, and it’s admirable how Marco accepted the news. It shows the quality of the player and person he is.”
It is not known exactly what injury initially ruled Etzebeth out of contention.
On Tuesday Erasmus referred to a meniscus injury (in his knee), but there have also been reports mentioning the lock’s back.
Meanwhile, Erasmus has released four players – Steven Kitshoff (prop), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Canan Moodie and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings) – to their provincial unions to get game time in the Currie Cup this weekend.
15 – Aphelele Fassi (Sharks) – 6 caps, 15 points (3t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 35 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 73 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 –Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 82 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls) – 19 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers) – 6 caps, 33 points (12c, 3p)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 34 caps, 65 points (13t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 27 caps, 5 points (1t)
7 – Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers) – 3 caps, 5 points (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 86 caps, 55 points (11t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Bulls) – 2 caps, 0 points
4 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 81 caps, 45 points (9t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (Stormers) – 73 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks) – 72 caps, 70 points (14t)
1 – Ox Nche (Sharks) – 33 caps, 0 points
Bench:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 69 caps, 95 points (19t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Sharks) – 54 caps, 0 points
19 – Eben Etzebeth (Sharks) – 124 caps, 30 points (6t)
20 – Elrigh Louw (Bulls) – 6 caps, 0 points
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 45 caps, 40 points (8t)
22 – Grant Williams (Sharks) – 13 caps, 10 points (2t)
23 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 73 caps, 734 points (7t, 99c, 162p, 5dg
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