SPOTLIGHT: Rassie Erasmus caused a stir with his selections for the match against the Wallabies in Perth, but there will be several players in that pack who know each other really well.
Five of the eight forwards are from the Bulls and one of them is a leader in the form of lock Ruan Nortje.
Those other players from Pretoria are Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar (both in the front row), Marco van Staden and Elrigh Louw (both in the back row).
While Tests are a whole different kettle of fish, having established combinations will be beneficial for the Boks, especially after making 10 changes to the starting line-up.
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“It will help in the forwards – we train and play together at the Bulls, so we know each other well,” said Van Staden.
“However, our training [with the Boks] is at a higher intensity and we’ve got a lot of confidence from that this week.
“I think we can all take that forward into the game.
“It’s just not about us that play together at the Bulls, it’s about the whole forward pack and we trained well together.
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One concern amongst fans is that the Boks have a history of crumbling when they make mass changes.
One example of that was in 2022 when they suffered a 12-13 defeat to Wales in Bloemfontein after beating the same opposition a week earlier in Pretoria.
However, Van Staden says there is a wave of confidence in the camp and a determination to build on last weekend’s 33-7 victory in Brisbane.
“I don’t think we need extra motivation for this game,” the loose forward said.
“I think everyone is up for it and they want to use the opportunity.
“There is confidence in each other and we trained with a high intensity, so there are a lot of things we can take forward to the game.”
@rugby365com
