No injuries, and a lot to work on, but there will be changes.
Those were the main points coming from Springbok assistant coach and former No 8 Duane Vermeulen, who made an appearance for the first time as a coach at the Bok press conference on Monday.
With RG Snyman’s foot injury being just “stiffness” and Bongi Mbonambi having “back spasms” there are no real injury worries in the side, but Vermeulen did hint that coach Rassie Erasmus would be making some changes as the team gets announced on Tuesday for the second test against Australia in as many weeks.
Vermeulen was coy about just what those changes were, but the appearance for media duties of Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Makazole Mapimpi were hints that there are a number of changes coming for the Boks.
And he hinted that “new energy” would see a few new faces in the team this coming weekend.
“We have a squad of 33 players here and ideally we’d like to use them all because we need the players to stay in top form, not only for the competition, but also in the case of injuries,” said Vermeulen.
“So, there might be a few changes to the team, but it’s up to the coaches to select the most suitable team for the weekend. This is a big game for us because we left a lot of tries out there, so it certainly wasn’t a perfect game, and hopefully we can bring a new energy this weekend.”
If that is to be a guide, then Wessels will be in the match day 23, but with Rassie Erasmus hinting before the tour that he could be used as hooker, rather than the loosehead prop role he made his debut in, we will have to wait to see what the coach announces.
Vermeulen had a good dig when Wessels was asked if he is a hooker who could play prop or vice versa, quipping “he’s a lock that can play both” in reference to the young upstart’s time at school in the second row.
JIGSAW SELECTION PUZZLE
And if Vermeulen is correct about using all 33 members of the squad, then the 10 that weren’t used could be there in some way or form this weekend - with Thomas du Toit, Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Ruan Nortje, Manie Libbok, Morne van den Berg, Mapimpi, Aphelele Fassi, RG Snyman and Lukhanyo Am being the 10 members who weren’t part of the match day 23 last week.
In many cases, slotting these players in wouldn’t be weakening the side in any manner, but just what the jigsaw selection puzzle will be, will be announced on Tuesday.
Vermeulen added that there was a lot to work on for the side, even though they had a dominant victory, and that kept the team from falling into any sort of complacency.
“The scrums were good last week,” said Vermeulen. “We earned a few penalties and got some advantage from that area, but I’m sure Taniela Tupou will start this week and bring a new dynamic to their pack.
"In terms of the lineouts, we lost two, and we’ll continue to work towards the perfect lineout.
“On the downside, we left quite a few chances out there and we were pinned at some defensive breakdowns, so there are a few areas we need to be sharper in going forward. We are working closely with Jaco Peyper (national laws advisor) and the referees going into this match, so we can improve our performance this weekend.”
Vermeulen added that while the Boks had got off to the perfect start in their quest for the Rugby Championship title, there was still a long way to go before they could lay claim to the trophy.
“It’s still early days," he said. "New Zealand also selected a few young players compared to the side they played in the RWC, so they’ll probably make some changes this week. From our perspective, obviously the last game put us in a good position, but there’s still a long way to go.”
The Boks will name their side for Saturday’s return game on Tuesday.