RUGBY NEWS - The change to the back-row configuration and the return of Lood de Jager to the second row are moves that Springbok coach Allister Coetzee feels will sort out the errors and shortcomings that conspired against the team in the 57-0 defeat to the All Blacks in Albany.
Coetzee on Thursday sprung something of a surprise when he named a back-row that effectively had two players outside of their regular positions and brought back De Jager for Franco Mostert for Saturday’s final Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash with New Zealand.
In justifying the selections, he said that the back-row changes would bring balance to the unit while the chances of matching the All Blacks in the lineouts would be improved.
Pieter-Steph du Toit, the Bok man of the match against Australia in Perth as a No 5 lock four weeks ago, has been entrusted with the responsibility of playing blindside flank, a position where he struggled in matches against England at Twickenham in 2016 and Japan at the 2015 World Cup.
With Aaron Smith lining up in the No 9 jersey for the All Blacks, South Africans will have uncomfortable memories of how a lesser player, England’s Danny Care, twice showed up Du Toit around the fringes in quite embarrassing fashion 11 months ago.
However, Coetzee has decided to gamble on Du Toit as a No 7 and Francois Louw at No 8 instead of his regular position on the flank in an effort to make up the gap the All Blacks enjoyed at the QBE Stadium.
