Rassie playing mind games? Hints at late 7-1 bench split for Boks, Irish Test

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that the Boks could surprise the Irish with a seven-one bench split of forwards to backs later in the week, despite him naming a match 23 featuring a six-two split on Tuesday afternoon, for their clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Boks shocked the rugby world when they picked a seven-one split for their pre-World Cup clash against the All Blacks at Twickenham last year, with it paying off spectacularly as they hammered their biggest rivals 35-7.

They have since deployed the tactic twice more, in their World Cup pool match against Ireland last year which they lost 13-8 and then again against the All Blacks in the showpiece final which they edged 12-11.

It seems that Erasmus is now keen to back it again, but it will depend on whether his preferred extra forward is fit enough.

Mind games?

“There are one or two niggles (in the team). But there is a possibility that we will name a seven-one (bench split) on Thursday. But I don’t want to elaborate on that too much at this point,” said Erasmus, who may also just be playing mind games with the Irish.

The Bok coach will be assisted in making that decision by the inclusion of utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the bench, ahead of Manie Libbok, which gives him extra options in case of a player going down injured.

Thus, scrumhalf Grant Williams would likely be the unlucky back to drop out, and loose forward Evan Roos would probably come into the squad, while Ben-Jason Dixon and Phepsi Buthelezi are the other loosies available.

“Sacha certainly brings something to the party due to his versatility when we go six-two. That’s where Manie missed out (on selection),” explained Erasmus.

“If our 12, 15 or 10 goes down in the game he can slot straight into any of those positions. Where with Manie, him not making the match 23 is purely because we went six-two.

“He’s not as comfortable at 12 or fullback and we would have to switch things around at the back then, whereas with Sacha we don’t need to do that, so it just makes more sense having him in.”

It’s not unfinished business

Despite the fact that the Boks have not beaten Ireland since 2016, losing their last three games, two in Ireland in 2017 and 2022, and at last year’s World Cup, Erasmus insisted they had no unfinished business with them, but that they had picked a team to get a win.

“We try to stay in our reality, and our reality is we are playing at home against a team that has beaten us in our last three games we have played them. But we don’t believe we have a score to settle because of that,” said Erasmus.

“I would rather take two World Cups and a British and Irish Lions series and take the three losses (against Ireland). But we never go out to lose and we definitely didn’t pick this team to go out and lose on Saturday.”