Erasmus rewards form as Italy loom

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, who has steadfastly stuck to an A and B team selection process in an effort to accelerate depth and expose as many players as possible to high-level competition during the rugby championship, changed that in Omaezaki on Tuesday.

Prop Tendai Mtawarira, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and lock Lood de Jager all earn starts. Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Franco Mostert drop to the bench as a consequence.

It will be the first time the latter trio won’t start one of the “major” Tests of the year.

The Bok coach stuck with largely the same starting XV for the pre-RWC clashes against New Zealand in Wellington, Argentina in Salta and Japan in Kumagaya. He also picked the same team for the RWC 2019 opener against the All Blacks in Yokohama.

The B team played the home Tests against Australia and Ellis Park, Argentina at Loftus and last Saturday’s RWC second-round match against Namibia in Toyota City.

Mbonambi has been rewarded for his industrious work rate while De Jager’s towering performance against Namibia, in which he was asked to carry into contact, is also rewarded.

Mtawarira, at 34, is enjoying a late surge in his career, but he is better when he starts. Maybe it’s age, but he doesn’t have quite the same impact when he comes off the bench and seems to take some time to find the rhythm of the match.

Kitshoff is much more explosive from the wood, which is something Erasmus appears to have recognised for what is effectively a knockout match.

After losing 23-13 to the All Blacks in Yokohama, the Boks cannot afford another defeat. Italy still have to play against New Zealand and it’s highly unlikely the former will win that contest. The loser on Friday can pack their bags and head home.

Azzuri’s best chance of making the quarterfinals lies in somehow upsetting the Boks. They have a strong pack of forwards and Erasmus’ Bok picks reflect where he thinks the toughest challenge will come from. It’s also why he has gone for six forwards on the bench and only two backs.

With locks De Jager and Eben Etzebeth, as well as loose forwards Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen and Siya Kolisi all providing line-out options, Italy could struggle in that area. And with the towering 2.06m RG Snyman and Mostert to come off the bench, the pressure on Italy’s set piece will be relentless.

With a forecast for heavy rain on match day in Shizuoka, it is likely to be an evening for heavy artillery – and the Boks have some of the heaviest at the tournament.

“Italy have a very good pack and put a lot of effort in their set phases,” said Erasmus.

“People may think it is a gamble to have only two back replacements but we want to have plenty of ammunition for what is likely to be a major forward battle.

“It’s a 23-player game these days and the players who come on will be expected to contribute almost as much in game time as those who start among the front rowers.

“But for this game we are asking the players we have chosen to start to set the tone.”

The astute Erasmus is well aware that Italy coach Conor O’Shea would have circled the clash against South Africa as the route into the play-offs.

The draw for RWC 2019 was made shortly after Italy humbled the Boks 20-18 in Florence in November 2016.

Erasmus wasn’t in charge then, but it was a match that gave Italy belief despite the fact that the Boks gained a measure of revenge in Padua a year later by beating Italy 35-6.

“Italy has had their eyes on this match for a couple of years and will have planned and schemed how to bring us down once again,” said Erasmus.

“This is a defining match for them and while we were focusing on the New Zealand game, they will have had their eyes on this one as the key to the quarterfinals for them.

“That means we have to be at our absolute best if we are to beat them – we are at the stage already where there are no second chances. That’s a message we have been emphasising to the players this week.”

Erasmus’s decision to have only two backs on the bench was an option he believed the team had the resources to manage.

“We have versatile players in the backs who can cover a number of positions and we have planned for different scenarios,” he said.

“This game is going to be decided by the forwards and at the set phases and we wanted to maximise our options in those battles.”

Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Reserves: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Francois Louw, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Frans Steyn. DM