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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salmaan Moerat will complete his formal leadership rise when he captains a new-look Springbok team against Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moerat was a former SA Schools and Junior Springbok captain, and will now have the honour of being the 66</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bok captain for the one-off Test against the Tier-Two nation.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In all there are seven new caps in the match-23, mostly among the forwards, while the starting backline has a wealth of experience. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Centre Lukhanyo Am is back for his first Test since playing against Argentina in 2023, and forms a potentially exciting combination with André Esterhuizen.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wing Kurt-Lee Arendse plays again after featuring against Ireland, while Makazole Mapimpi is restored to the left wing with Aphelele Fassi at fullback.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><b>Inexperienced up front</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up front, though, the side is inexperienced.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharks flank Phepsi Buthelezi will make his debut alongside Ben-Jason Dixon, with his first start, and Evan Roos, in the back row.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RG Snyman partners Moerat in the second row, while Thomas du Toit anchors the scrum at tighthead.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar is on debut alongside Jan-Hendrik Wessels at loosehad, and on the bench there are potential debuts for hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, lock Ruan Venter, scrumhalf Morné van den Berg and fullback Quan Horn.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2278121\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TL_2220701.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1810\" height=\"1105\" /> <em>Phepsi Buthelezi of the Hollywoodbets Sharks during the EPCR Challenge Cup final match between Gloucester and the Sharks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 24 May in London. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Portugal are a quality team as we saw with their victory against Fiji in the Rugby World Cup (RWC), while they also drew their clash against Georgia 18-18,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It was important for us to select a quality team with a bunch of experienced players, while at the same time delivering on our objective of growing our squad depth by naming a few debutants.” </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erasmus said he was pleased to be able to hand the captaincy to Moerat, whose track record as a captain was a testament to his abilities as a fine leader.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Salmaan commands respect from his teammates, so we’d like to congratulate him on this achievement, and we have no doubt that he’ll take on this responsibility as well as he has for the other teams he has led,” Ersmus said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“He has come through the SA Rugby ranks and he went on to captain the Junior Springboks and SA Schools teams, as well as the Stormers and Western Province, which speaks volumes about his quality as a player and a captain.”</span>\r\n\r\n<b>First outings</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The match marks the first appearance of the Test season for Rugby World Cup winners Am, Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf), Trevor Nyakane and Du Toit (props).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eight players were members of the match-23 that defeated Wales 41-13 in London in the team’s opening match of the season in June: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Fassi, Mapimpi, Esterhuizen, Roos, Dixon, Moerat, and Ntuthuko Mchunu (prop).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Most of the so-called younger players have been exposed to Test rugby in one way or another by either playing against Wales or Ireland, or have been around the squad, so they are all well aware of the standards we expect on the field and the way we do things,” said Erasmus.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“All of the uncapped players, apart from Ruan Venter, were also members of our training squad in June, and we were very impressed with the way they fitted into our structures and their work ethic. We have full faith in their abilities, and we’re excited to see what they offer on the field on Saturday.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-07-14-savour-the-magnificent-struggle-between-the-boks-and-ireland-rather-than-looking-for-scapegoats/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Savour the magnificent struggle between the Boks and Ireland, rather than looking for scapegoats</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The squad also includes a few RWC winners and experienced campaigners, who will play a vital role in guiding the young players and keeping things calm in the pressure situations.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erasmus said he expected a fierce battle against Portugal: “They proved that they could compete successfully against some of the top teams in the world, and we believe they will lift their game even more this weekend given the magnitude of facing the Springboks.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2278126\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TL_2206433.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1667\" height=\"1212\" /> <em>Johan Grobbelaar of the Vodacom Blue Bulls during their United Rugby Championship match against Munster at Loftus Versfeld on 20 April in Pretoria. (Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This occasion will really excite them, and they’ll certainly give everything to make a statement for the Tier Two nations, so we have to deliver a top-quality performance to get a result.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This match is also an opportunity for us to work on what went wrong last week and finish the Castle Lager Incoming Series on a high note, so we will treat them and the occasion with the respect it deserves. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There are no easy games in Test rugby, and for us personally, it’s important to live up to our standards and build momentum going into the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.” </span><b>DM</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><b>Springboks:</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Substitutes: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Ruan Venter, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Quan Horn</span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick’s journalism is funded by the contributions of our Maverick Insider members. If you appreciate our work, then join our membership community. Defending Democracy is an everyday effort. Be part of it. </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/?utm_source=dm_website&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=cabinet_announcement\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Become a Maverick Insider</span></i></a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span></i>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salmaan Moerat will complete his formal leadership rise when he captains a new-look Springbok team against Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moerat was a former SA Schools and Junior Springbok captain, and will now have the honour of being the 66</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bok captain for the one-off Test against the Tier-Two nation.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In all there are seven new caps in the match-23, mostly among the forwards, while the starting backline has a wealth of experience. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Centre Lukhanyo Am is back for his first Test since playing against Argentina in 2023, and forms a potentially exciting combination with André Esterhuizen.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wing Kurt-Lee Arendse plays again after featuring against Ireland, while Makazole Mapimpi is restored to the left wing with Aphelele Fassi at fullback.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><b>Inexperienced up front</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up front, though, the side is inexperienced.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharks flank Phepsi Buthelezi will make his debut alongside Ben-Jason Dixon, with his first start, and Evan Roos, in the back row.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RG Snyman partners Moerat in the second row, while Thomas du Toit anchors the scrum at tighthead.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar is on debut alongside Jan-Hendrik Wessels at loosehad, and on the bench there are potential debuts for hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, lock Ruan Venter, scrumhalf Morné van den Berg and fullback Quan Horn.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2278121\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1810\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2278121\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TL_2220701.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1810\" height=\"1105\" /> <em>Phepsi Buthelezi of the Hollywoodbets Sharks during the EPCR Challenge Cup final match between Gloucester and the Sharks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 24 May in London. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Portugal are a quality team as we saw with their victory against Fiji in the Rugby World Cup (RWC), while they also drew their clash against Georgia 18-18,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It was important for us to select a quality team with a bunch of experienced players, while at the same time delivering on our objective of growing our squad depth by naming a few debutants.” </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erasmus said he was pleased to be able to hand the captaincy to Moerat, whose track record as a captain was a testament to his abilities as a fine leader.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Salmaan commands respect from his teammates, so we’d like to congratulate him on this achievement, and we have no doubt that he’ll take on this responsibility as well as he has for the other teams he has led,” Ersmus said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“He has come through the SA Rugby ranks and he went on to captain the Junior Springboks and SA Schools teams, as well as the Stormers and Western Province, which speaks volumes about his quality as a player and a captain.”</span>\r\n\r\n<b>First outings</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The match marks the first appearance of the Test season for Rugby World Cup winners Am, Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf), Trevor Nyakane and Du Toit (props).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eight players were members of the match-23 that defeated Wales 41-13 in London in the team’s opening match of the season in June: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Fassi, Mapimpi, Esterhuizen, Roos, Dixon, Moerat, and Ntuthuko Mchunu (prop).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Most of the so-called younger players have been exposed to Test rugby in one way or another by either playing against Wales or Ireland, or have been around the squad, so they are all well aware of the standards we expect on the field and the way we do things,” said Erasmus.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“All of the uncapped players, apart from Ruan Venter, were also members of our training squad in June, and we were very impressed with the way they fitted into our structures and their work ethic. We have full faith in their abilities, and we’re excited to see what they offer on the field on Saturday.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-07-14-savour-the-magnificent-struggle-between-the-boks-and-ireland-rather-than-looking-for-scapegoats/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Savour the magnificent struggle between the Boks and Ireland, rather than looking for scapegoats</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The squad also includes a few RWC winners and experienced campaigners, who will play a vital role in guiding the young players and keeping things calm in the pressure situations.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erasmus said he expected a fierce battle against Portugal: “They proved that they could compete successfully against some of the top teams in the world, and we believe they will lift their game even more this weekend given the magnitude of facing the Springboks.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2278126\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1667\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2278126\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TL_2206433.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1667\" height=\"1212\" /> <em>Johan Grobbelaar of the Vodacom Blue Bulls during their United Rugby Championship match against Munster at Loftus Versfeld on 20 April in Pretoria. (Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This occasion will really excite them, and they’ll certainly give everything to make a statement for the Tier Two nations, so we have to deliver a top-quality performance to get a result.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This match is also an opportunity for us to work on what went wrong last week and finish the Castle Lager Incoming Series on a high note, so we will treat them and the occasion with the respect it deserves. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There are no easy games in Test rugby, and for us personally, it’s important to live up to our standards and build momentum going into the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.” </span><b>DM</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><b>Springboks:</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Substitutes: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Ruan Venter, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Quan Horn</span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick’s journalism is funded by the contributions of our Maverick Insider members. If you appreciate our work, then join our membership community. Defending Democracy is an everyday effort. Be part of it. </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/?utm_source=dm_website&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=cabinet_announcement\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Become a Maverick Insider</span></i></a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span></i>",
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Phepsi Buthelezi of the Hollywoodbets Sharks during the EPCR Challenge Cup final match between Gloucester and the Sharks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 24 May in London. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)
Johan Grobbelaar of the Vodacom Blue Bulls during their United Rugby Championship match against Munster at Loftus Versfeld on 20 April in Pretoria. (Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)