Rassie can afford to change his No 15
We are way past the point where change in certain positions in the Springbok team would simply be ideal. Right now, it’s needed.
In the Boks’ 26-3 quarter-final win against Japan on Sunday, there were again a number of issues in terms of player personnel and individual performances. In the first half in Tokyo, the Boks were far from perfect when it came to execution and finishing. They had their chances and blew at least three scoring opportunities before the break so, naturally, there were a number of players who would have aimed to be sharper in the second 40.
But throughout the match, Willie le Roux’s performance at fullback was again subpar, not just in the first half, and it’s something that has become expected rather than uncharacteristic in 2019. At the weekend, he dropped a simple pass when the Boks had ample space on the outside, and in the second half, he wasted another try-scoring chance when he butchered a pass.
As bad as those mistakes were, they are far from the only ones we have seen from Le Roux while with the Boks this season.
Good moments from him have been in isolation until now, and it’s time for coach Rassie Erasmus to make a few bold calls as they prepare for their semi-final clash against Wales.
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