Rassie Erasmus: Springboks ‘won’t experiment’ against All Blacks with Siya Kolisi ‘touch-and-go’ for Eden Park showdown due too…

Rassie Erasmus: Most ‘in-form’ Springboks team to face All Blacks but Siya Kolisi may miss out

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus says that Siya Kolisi has been ‘bracketed’ in the matchday 23 for the clash against the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday.

South Africa’s captain has travelled with the squad to New Zealand, but is in doubt for the clash in Auckland, although he will definitely be fit for the round four Rugby Championship clash in Wellington, Erasmus has confirmed.

The Boks are contending with a bit of a number eight crisis due to injuries to the likes of Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom, and Juarno Augustus, while Jasper Wiese will serve the final week of his ban this weekend.

Siya Kolisi in doubt

Kolisi started the Springboks‘ first Test against Australia at Ellis Park in the number eight jumper and is one of the front-runners to do so against the All Blacks, but that’s only if he is deemed fit to do so.

While Erasmus did not hide from the fact that tackling New Zealand at Eden Park is a ‘massive task’, he is wary of risking his captain with the risk of further injury.

“We brought 36 guys on tour, Jasper is only available next week, and Siya is touch-and-go for this week,” the Bok head coach said on Monday.

“It’s again one of those calls that must be made with a little bit of a longer-term mindset. He’ll definitely be available next week.

“We will only announce the team on Thursday, but at this stage, he is bracketed just to make 100% sure we don’t push him.

“Initially, we thought he was going to be out with a six to eight-week injury, and then the scan came back much clearer. So, we’ll make that call a little bit later in the week, but next week, he will be 100%.”

Opposing back-rower Ardie Savea is set to celebrate his 100th Test cap for the All Blacks on Saturday. Considering his relationship with Kolisi, Erasmus was asked ‘Surely Siya plays at Eden Park in Ardie’s 100th Test’.

“It’s a long season, and we still hope that Siya can play another year or two for us and bringing him back one game too early might just bugger it up six or seven weeks and the rest of the year,” he responded with a chuckle.

“It is an emotional decision, and it’s one that we haven’t quite finalised. The heart says let’s play him, but the mind says let’s watch until Thursday.”

Most in-form team will be picked

Erasmus has moved his team announcement to Thursday after releasing his team on the Monday and Tuesday of the matches against the Wallabies.

He explained that this is to keep the All Blacks guessing while the Boks are still unsure about who Scott Robertson will select in his matchday 23.

However, the head coach did confirm that there will be no experimentation against New Zealand as the best team available will be picked for the showdown at Eden Park.

“When thing goes according to momentum and you build well, like I thought we did well over the last nine games, but then we got the Australian game and we messed that one up – the first one at Ellis Park,” he explained.

“Then we had to bring it back a little bit and say, ‘let’s just get back on the horse again and win again’. But now to win the Rugby Championship, we have to win this match.

“Normally, we don’t experiment too much against New Zealand. We try to put the fittest, in-form, available team out there, and I think this will be the case.

“The most in-form, fittest available team will be picked because it’s a must-win for them and for us now; it’s not like we have the luxury of saying we beat them twice.

“Last year, we beat them twice, and we could experiment against Argentina. Had we lost last year against New Zealand or Australia, you know, we couldn’t have experimented like we did with Argentina away. So, no, it will pretty much be everybody who’s fit and healthy will be on board.”