This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
South Africa's rugby team has made three key changes to their starting lineup ahead of their crunch match against Italy in the Rugby World Cup. The changes were announced on Tuesday, with coach Rassie Erasmus looking to maximize his team's options in the forward battles.
Hooker Bongi Mbonambi and prop Tendai Mtawarira have been brought in to replace Malcolm Marx and Steven Kitshoff, respectively. Lock Lood de Jager has also been preferred over Franco Mostert, as the team looks to maintain continuity in the line-out.
Erasmus has stated that he will select his strongest side for the crucial matches against New Zealand and Italy, with secondary selections for the games against Namibia and Canada. The coach believes that the game against Italy will be decided by the forwards and that his team needs to maximize their options in the set phases.
“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,” Erasmus said. “The challenge for us will be up front, not that we think they don’t have a backline. For us this is a crunch game, it’s do-or-die. We will do what we have to do, if we have to grind it out, no matter how we do it, win with a drop-goal or something, we will do it to get out of the pool stages.”
The team has chosen a six-two split on the bench, with a focus on forwards. This includes hooker Marx, props Kitshoff and Vincent Koch, locks RG Snyman and Franco Mostert, and loose-forward Francois Louw. The only backline cover comes from utility back Frans Steyn and scrum-half Herschel Jantjies.
Erasmus believes that his team has enough versatility on the pitch to cover for any eventualities. “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.”
Centre Jesse Kriel has not been considered for the match due to a hamstring injury. The team's starting lineup includes Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, and Tendai Mtawarira.
