Rassie Erasmus has shed light on his decision to leave Siya Kolisi out of the Springbok side to face the All Blacks on Saturday, while also reflecting on Damian de Allende’s 100th Test cap.
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Erasmus named the South African team for the first Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series on Thursday, with Pieter-Steph du Toit captaining the side and De Allende set to become just the 10th Bok to reach a Test century.
Rassie Erasmus explains Siya Kolisi exclusion
Kolisi trained well throughout the week, but Erasmus opted for the 23-year-old Paul de Villiers at openside flank, citing form and a cautious approach to the two-time World Cup-winning skipper’s return.
“Siya trained well with us this week, and although we could have selected him for this clash, we thought it would be best to select Paul for this weekend’s game,” the Bok boss said.
“We are playing four Tests against the All Blacks and Paul has been playing well, so we are excited to give him a chance this weekend in what will be his first Test match against New Zealand, while taking a precautionary approach to Siya’s return.
“We have a solid group of players, and each one of them deserves their places in the squad, so we will approach team selection week by week.”
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Praise for Damian de Allende
On de Allende reaching his century of caps, Erasmus said the milestone adds extra significance to the occasion.
“We are all very excited for Damian, and to achieve this milestone in this series makes it even more special,” he added.
“He’s a great team man, and servant to the game, so we hope we can make it a memorable day for him. That said, his focus all week has only been on this match, and he will certainly not let the occasion shadow what he has to do on the field.”
Thoughts on the All Blacks
Erasmus also touched on his broader selection approach and the challenge New Zealand present.
“The All Blacks are a quality team, and we selected combinations we think would be best suited for the challenge this weekend,” he said.
“The squad is well balanced with players who remained in South Africa to train for this series and some of the players who featured against Argentina. The whole group has now been together for over a week, and we are all aligned regarding the way we want to play this weekend.”
Looking ahead to the contest itself, Erasmus expects another tight battle: “They are a quality team and they’re very well coached, so we are preparing for an 80-minute grind.
“Many of the matches between the sides have come down to the wire, so it’s important that we use the chances we create and ensure that our discipline is on point.”
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Originally published by SA Rugby Magazine.
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