Nick Mallett argues that Rassie Erasmus wouldn’t have risked overhauling the Springbok starting XV for Sunday’s defeat in Perth had it been a more important game.
The former Bok boss shared his thoughts on the Talking Boks podcast after a 42-38 loss to the Wallabies at Optus Stadium.
Les Kiss’ men led 42-17 after 63 minutes before four yellow cards for Australia and three tries from South Africa set up a thrilling finish to the the one-off Test Down Under.
Erasmus made 13 changes from the side that won the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series a fortnight ago, and Mallett felt the world champions paid the price for the reshuffle.
“I didn’t think the balance of the loose forwards was great,” he said. “Elrigh Louw looks more like a lock playing flank.
“I didn’t think Marco [van Staden] had a great game; Cameron Hanekom would have made a difference.
“If this had been a really important game, we would have started with our bench, except for Quan Horn,” Mallett added.
“If we’d done it that way round, despite the travel, I still believe we would have been up at half-time against these guys.
“If they had started the game, we would have seen Australia under the same pressure that New Zealand was under.”
He questioned the Boks’ selection pattern that saw Erasmus rotate heavily through the Nations Championship, settle on combinations for the four Tests against the All Blacks, then switch up again.
“I said Rassie has picked a team that we usually pick against Scotland at home, or Wales and Italy away or at home. This wasn’t an A team.
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“I know we were saying that we’ve got three guys equal, but no one is equal to Ox Nché as a loosehead prop. No one is equal to Wilco Louw in scrummaging, and no hooker in the world is equal to Malcolm Marx. Eben Etzebeth is still the best lock standing.
“We have very good replacements, but to put 13 replacements on the field was a risk, and it was a risk playing against Australia, who arrived unbeaten under new coach Les Kiss – always a bounce for a team.”
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Photo: Antony Dickson/Gallo Image
The post ‘Bok A team was on the bench’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Nick Mallett argues that Rassie Erasmus wouldn’t have risked overhauling the Springbok starting XV for Sunday’s defeat in Perth had it been a more important game.
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