With the rugby championship around the corner and it being a World Cup year, Rassie and his team have decided to split the current squad into two parts. Not necessarily A or B but to one, give every player a fighting chance to be on the plane to Japan and two, to avoid injury to key players. He has chosen two teams thus far; one for Australia on the 20th of July and one for the All Blacks on the 27th
Here is the team that will take on the Wallabies at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg: Warrick Galant, S’bu Nkosi, Jessie Kriel, Andre, Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Elton Jantjies, Herchel Jantjies, Francois Louw, Peter-Steph du Toit, Rynhardt Elstadt, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth (C), Trevor Nyakane, , Bongi Mbonambi, Tendia Mtawarira. Subs: Schalk Britz, Lizo Gqoboka, Vincent Koch, Marvin Orie, Marcell Coetzee, Cobus Reinach, Frans Steyn, Dillyn Lleyds.
I trust Rassie is using the Rugby Championship to test the players out and see who wants it the most. I also think he’s looking to test combinations and see who plays well together. As he has chosen for the most part players that haven’t played together, I think he is trying to create unity within the squad. I don’t think Rassie is too worried about the actual results of the games but more that they come together as a squad.
By picking players on form Rassie has given himself the best chance of achieving squad unity as everyone is there on merit and can not be questioned which should create the best environment comradery and bonding thus giving him the best chance of winning the World Cup later this year. While we wait in anticipation to see if Rassie’s master plan will work, we can take comfort in how the team performed in last years Rugby championship. We didn’t start well but we improved in every game and now Rassie has had time to put his plan in place I think we will see a much better Springbok team going forward.
My only concern is that we may be looking too far forward to the world cup and forget that results now can either give or dent confidence going forward so I hope that the Boks can win the Championship and use that as a springboard to greater achievements later in the year. I believe we have the talent and I believe that Rassie is the man for the job; now we wait to see what unfolds in the Championship and the RWC. I, for one am excited about the team and the form of the players in the Squad as a whole. Experience mixed in with youthful exuberance and the tactical brain of Rassie is a great combination and I think has great potential to go down as one of our best ever if they manage to come together.
The eyes of the nation will be on the Boks from now until the World Cup is over; I just hope that if the Rugby Championship doesn’t go well that the players can shut out the noise. I implore all supporters to back our boys through thick and thin and keep negative thoughts to themselves. Nothing but 100% support and we can have our say when its all said and done but for now stay positive and believe in our team and our coach.
