Springboks not taking ageing Barbarians for granted

The Citizen

4 hours ago

A mixed Springbok team, featuring fringe players but also plenty of experience, won't be taking the BaaBaas side for granted in their season opener.
Springbok lock Lood de Jager is set to make his first start for the team in over two years in their season opener against the Barbarians on Saturday. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
The Springboks won't be taking an ageing Barbarians team for granted and will be gunning for a win to get their international season up and running on the best possible note when the teams clash at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 5:10pm).
The first game of the season is always a tricky one as players try to gel together and find their feet, and it is even more so when there are a number of inexperienced players in the mix.
In their match 23 the Boks have four uncapped players making their first appearance in the green and gold, although it won't count as a Test cap against the famed invitational side, four more players have under 10 caps and another four have under 20.
So it is a relatively inexperienced side, backed by a fair few veterans, mostly based in Japan, who will be looking to guide them.
On the BaaBaas front, they chock full of experience, with a slew of players having over 100 caps for their respective countries, however many of them are on their way out, with some retiring while others are well into the twilight of their careers.
That includes the experienced Irish trio of team captain and loose forward Peter O'Mahoney, prop Cian Healy and scrumhalf Conor Murray, while All Blacks veterans, loose forwards Sam Cane and Shannon Frizell, and scrumhalf Tawara Kerr-Barlow also bolster the team.
Boks favourites
Despite the Boks arguably being favourites despite some of the inexperience in the match 23, Erasmus cautioned against taking the BaaBaas lightly.
'We last played eight months ago and we've seen what happened to the British and Irish Lions recently against Argentina when they put a team together. Credit, though, must go to Argentina for that victory,' said Erasmus.
'Selecting just an experienced side to win this game would've been beside the point. We know we could've selected our most in-form side, but what happens in 12 months then (if the inexperienced players aren't given a run).
'We want a good start, that is why we selected this side, and we would love to entertain, but we won't fuel their fire.'
An exciting moment for the Boks will be the return of veteran lock Lood de Jager, who has not played for the national team in over two years, after illness and then injury ruled him out for long periods of time, and Erasmus is looking forward to seeing him in action again.
'Lood is a student of the game when it comes to lineouts. One positive for a 32-year-old body is that if you have such a long spell of injuries and illness, you get a break and you can focus on your personal life with family,' said Erasmus.
'But then your body also rests. He didn't play 30 games in the last two years. It is kind of like a car that's been parked in the garage. You don't pick up mileage, but you will be a bit rusty.
'I am very excited for Lood. He thought it was all over (his Bok career), and he won't play again. But here he is and hopefully, he gets a good run.'