OPINION: Springbok fullback conundrum for Rassie Erasmus

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has a full-blown fullback conundrum on his hands as he prepares for the end-of-year-tour to the UK next month.

The Boks named a 35-man squad for the tour earlier this week, with Damian Willemse recalled for the first time this season after recovering from injury, while Aphelele Fassi and Willie le Roux were also included.

It isn’t a big surprise, but when you consider that Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Cheslin Kolbe, Handre Pollard and Manie Libbok could all also fill in at fullback if needed, it makes for a ridiculously stacked department.

Willemse is most likely still the Boks’ preferred first choice fullback, while the stunning return of Fassi this season, after being left in the wilderness for the past few years, means he is probably now second choice.

Le Roux, at 35-years-old, won’t make the next World Cup and Erasmus admitted earlier this season that they would get him to 100 Tests, and with him sitting on 97, he could reach that mark by the end of the tour.

Interesting decisions

It will thus be interesting to see what Erasmus has planned for the fullbacks during their games against Scotland, England and Wales.

Will he use Le Roux in all three games so that he reaches the hundred cap mark when the Boks close out their tour against Wales?

And will that essentially mean the end of Le Roux’s Bok career, despite him still playing some impressive rugby?

Or will Erasmus look to get Le Roux to 99 caps and save his hundredth for a home Test during next year’s internationals against Italy and Georgia?

And what does this mean for Willemse and Fassi then? Willemse is in need of game time for the Boks, so it is likely that he will get a start or two, but would that mean Fassi will be an unused player on tour, or will Erasmus rotate the two?

Anything is possible and we will just have to wait and see what Erasmus has in store for the tour, and whether Le Roux will reach that 100 Test milestone next month, or only next year.