No Bok players for Rainbow Cup matches

The teams vying for the Rainbow Cup final will be hard hit if they make the final of the competition when those chosen for the Springbok squad will have no more part to play in the campaign.

This will particularly hit the Sharks hard, who will lose nine Springbok players while the Bulls are also losing four from their squad.

But while it may be uncomfortable, both sides will need to dig deep to see that the weekend’s showdown will still be a spectacle, with the Bulls needing just a point from the match to qualify for the Treviso final on June 19.

SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus admitted it wasn’t an easy choice to make, but the British and Irish Lions tour takes precedence and the Boks will be starting a three-week camp in Bloemfontein to prepare for the historic series, and all those selected need to be available.

“It is not easy when you are a franchise coach and you know some of these 46 players are going through to the Rainbow Cup final. You know if the Bulls or Sharks go play Benetton or Munster, they are going to play without their Springboks,” Erasmus said after the team announcement.

“They understand it, and we mentioned it. It is not nice for them but we had good conversations about it and they understand it.”

Erasmus underlined that because of Covid-19 bubble protocols around the tour there may be a few occasions when some of the 46 players will be released to their franchises, but they will be very rare given the 10-day quarantine that needs to happen.

“There might be occasions and it will be case by case, but I think it will be a very rare occasion that we might say this player needs some game time and we can release him for the Bulls for instance,” Erasmus said.

“The problem there is you lose him for 10 days because they have to go into a bubble for 10 days for the Lions - that is part of the contract. If we really see this boy needs game time and he is not sharp. We don’t think he is where he should be. That would be a surprise because we have been all over them in the alignment camps.

“In theory it might change if there is common logic if we see this guy needs game time. We might release one or two, but we have to suffer the consequences of not having that guy for 10 days of coaching. In theory nobody will play in the final of the Rainbow Cup and nobody will play in the British and Irish Lions provincial games from this squad.”