Springboks balance experience and fitness ahead of All Blacks series, says Rassie Erasmus

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus says his squad selection for next weekend’s one-off Test against Argentina was designed to balance the need for returning players to gain match fitness with the workload of those who have played regularly this year.

South Africa will travel to Buenos Aires for their final warm-up match before facing the All Blacks in the Greatest Rivalry series.

A number of senior players have been included as they return from injury, among them captain Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Lood de Jager and Morne van den Berg.

However, several established players have been left out as South Africa manage their physical condition before the series against New Zealand. Erasmus said the decision involved weighing the benefits of a demanding Test match against the risk of overworking players who have already featured heavily.

“We tried to get the balance right between giving some guys who are returning from injury and who have not had too much game time in our last four matches a valuable run against Argentina, while at the same time managing the players who have played a lot of rugby this year,” said Erasmus.

The coach said the players coming back from injury had worked hard during the week and were ready for the challenge in Argentina.

“The guys who have recovered from their injuries have been training hard this week and are ready to go, so it will be great for them to get a tough Test match under the belt before we face New Zealand.

“Several players have been performing for us week in and week out, so it was important that we manage their workload, while players such as Ox (Nche) and Franco (Mostert) are still on the road to recovery. Next week’s training camp will be useful for them to continue putting in the hard yards and for the injured players to continue their rehabilitation.”

Nche and Mostert will therefore continue their recovery work during the training camp next week, while other players will be given an opportunity to build their fitness in what Erasmus expects to be a highly physical contest.

Argentina are regarded by Erasmus as a suitable final examination before South Africa begin their meetings with New Zealand. He expects the match in Buenos Aires to test the Springboks both physically and tactically.

“Argentina are a quality outfit, and we know we will be in for a massive challenge in Buenos Aires, so we are preparing for a physical and gruelling battle over there,” he said.

“They are a well-coached team who have tested us in the last few years, while they have also been competitive in the Nations Championship, so it will be a good test for us as a team.”

The Argentina fixture will be South Africa’s last opportunity to prepare as a group before the All Blacks series begins. The Greatest Rivalry build-up has already started, with the All Blacks receiving a red-carpet welcome in Cape Town.

For Erasmus, the priority is to ensure the Springboks arrive at the New Zealand series with returning players tested, regulars properly managed and injured members of the squad continuing their rehabilitation.