South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has been cleared to face the All Blacks this Saturday within the Rugby Championship and has come right into a revised Springboks squad.
The 124-cap Springbok had initially been excluded from the squad that was introduced on Tuesday on account of a knee harm, however head coach Rassie Erasmus hinted that he might make a return to the squad.
A day later, the Springboks have confirmed that the double World Cup winner will certainly make the squad, changing Marco van Staden on the bench at Ellis Park.
Etzebeth’s inclusion means he might theoretically overtake Victor Matfield as essentially the most capped Springbok this Rugby Championship. The 32-year-old wants 4 extra caps to overhaul the 127 gained by his former second-row teammate, which will probably be achieved if he options in South Africa’s remaining 4 fixtures of the Championship.
“Our choice coverage has all the time been that if a participant doesn’t practice on a Monday he won’t play on Saturday, however Eben has made it by way of coaching pain-free all week, so we needed to make the robust name to call him within the squad on the expense of Marco,” Erasmus mentioned.
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“There have been back-up choices for us at lock within the preliminary squad, however with Eben on the bench it means now we have one other specialist in that place within the staff.
“We’re blessed to have an expanded squad of about 45 gamers who’ve all purchased into our plans and who perceive what’s greatest for the staff, and it’s admirable how Marco accepted the information. It exhibits the standard of the participant and individual he’s.”
Replacements
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 69 caps, 95 factors (19t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 factors
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 54 caps, 0 factors
19 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 124 caps, 30 factors (6t)
20 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 0 factors
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 45 caps, 40 factors (8t)
22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 13 caps, 10 factors (2t)
23 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 73 caps, 734 factors (7t, 99c, 162p, 5dg)
