Salmaan Moerat isn’t flashy, but Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks need a “grinder” against Italy on Saturday, with the much-maligned lock bringing that quality to the team.
The 11-cap Moerat starts in the second row in the Nations Championship Test in Turin, alongside Ruan Nortjé, in what will be his first Bok appearance of 2026 after recovering from neck and toe injuries.
Moerat, the 66th player to captain the Boks, was recalled for the second leg of the competition having last played for the world champions against Italy in July 2025.
The 28-year-old has played 94 minutes for La Rochelle since joining the French outfit from the Stormers last season and has copped his fair share of criticism in South Africa.
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“I’m not going to say, like other countries, that we don’t get caught up in social media,” Erasmus told reporters on Monday. “I listen to social media.
“I like South Africans who have opinions about things, and I’ve certainly seen it when Willie [le Roux] got slaughtered, and when Faf [de Klerk] was taken out, and then times when a guy made it against the odds.
“But I’ve never really listened to people who talk nonsense about Salmaan, because he’s not the kind of guy you see doing the flashy work on the field, and we don’t expect him to. We expect him to do what he always does for us.
“He’s been our captain four or five times, I’m not 100% sure, but I think he’s won every single time.
“We need a grinder, like a Jean Kleyn, like an RG Snyman. I think that’s a bit flashy as well, but it’s something we need in the team, and Salmaan brings it to us.”
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The Bok coach added: “Nobody probably understands how hard he scrums, how hard he mauls, how hard he cleans the ruck, how physical he is doing it, and how he stops mauls. You can never really explain that to people, but we’re not upset that people don’t see it.
“As long as Salmaan knows, and his teammates know, that we see it and that we value it. He’s the kind of guy we enjoy having in our team.
“When it comes to things people don’t understand or don’t see fully, I can understand why they have their opinions, but obviously we have our own opinion about someone.”
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Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The post Rassie never listens to Salmaan ‘nonsense’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Salmaan Moerat isn’t flashy, but Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks need a “grinder” against Italy on Saturday, with the much-maligned lock bringing that quality to the team.
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