Nick Mallett believes Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will lean heavily on the players who stayed behind while the rest of the squad travelled to Argentina, for Saturday’s first Test against the All Blacks.
Erasmus is set to name his team on Thursday, which bucks the trend of recent announcements where he preferred getting the team list out early in the week. Mallett says Erasmus has experienced and tested players to call on for the Ellis Park showdown.
“Logic would say why fly people across to Argentina and fly them back if they’re going to play in the first Test? If I look at who he left behind, Damian Willemse fullback. He looks like a shoe-in, on the wing [Cheslin] Kolbe and [Kurt-Lee] Arendse, centres [Jesse] Kriel and Damian de Allende. The flyhalf left behind was Manie Libbok and scrumhalf was Grant Williams. I mean, that’s a helluva backline isn’t it?” Mallett said on the Talking Boks podcast.
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The former Bok coach says there won’t be too many surprises in the forward pack either, although there may be space for a bolter in the loose-trio.
“In the forwards he had Ox Nché left behind, Malcolm Marx, Wilco Louw, [Ruan] Nortjé. I think Eben [Etzebeth] will come in at 4. If Siya [Kolisi] got through the Test, he would’ve started but it looks like he may be in trouble. And if you leave Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese behind, you’re going to play them, aren’t you?” Mallett added.
He also believes the contrasting attacking philosophies of the two rivals could make for a fascinating battle.
“Their preference is to pass as much as possible to create opportunities. Our preference is to strike early,” Mallett explained.
“Ours is a three-phase, kick-type attack. Theirs is a multi-phased attack.”
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That could make the battle for territory and possession particularly important, with Mallett warning that the Boks cannot afford to give the All Blacks the quick ball they crave.
“This whole tour is going to be: have they got the hand skills and evasive skills to beat us, and have we got the direct physicality but also the skills to offload out of contact?” he said.
“Have we got that ability to not give them quick ball? Because with quick ball, we’re in such trouble.”
Photo: @Springboks/X
The post Mallett: Rassie to name ‘logical’ team appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Nick Mallett believes Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will lean heavily on the players who stayed behind while the rest of the squad travelled to Argentina, for Saturday’s first Test against the All Blacks.
The post Mallett: Rassie to name ‘logical’ team appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
