Ex-Springboks: The ‘big selection’ that ‘strengthens’ the Wallabies for Perth showdown
Former Springboks Jean de Villiers and Hanyani Shimange believe that Joe Schmidt has made positive changes to his team for the Rugby Championship Test match against South Africa.
Schmidt has been forced into making some of those alterations with Nick Frost, Jake Gordon, Jeremy Williams and Filipo Daugunu all ruled out of the clash in Perth through injury.
Still, the Wallabies head coach has welcomed the return of Angus Bell, handing the loosehead prop a starting role on his return from injury and he is joined in the run-on team by world-class winger Marika Koroibete.
Nic White’s return
With scrum-half Gordon also sidelined, Schmidt has selected veteran number nine Nic White in the starting line-up, a move the ex-Springboks believe will be beneficial with torrid weather conditions predicted for the encounter.
“There are two significant changes in my view, Nic White starting so the Wallabies’ kicking game will be far more effective in the conditions and he brings lots of experience to the party,” De Villiers said on The Verdict podcast.
“And then Marika Koroibete, he has got a real presence about him and loads of experience so the changes that they have made have strengthened the team. With the weather set to not be great too, it might just favour the Wallabies.”
Former Springbok prop Shimange agreed with De Villiers but believes that Rassie Erasmus’ decision to load his bench with World Cup winners will have a massive influence on the match, as will the Wallabies’ inability to play their natural game – which makes White’s selection all the more important.
“The weather sort of evens out the game but you do need to look at the Springboks bench and Rassie is not shy to pull the trigger early,” he said.
“There is massive power in the Springboks’ game still with a first-choice front-row on the bench and Eben Etzebeth but I agree that Nic White’s selection is the big one. It is raining so he will be key in the contestable kicks and driving the Wallabies’ forwards.
“If you look at the Wallabies’ style of rugby it is short passes and running rugby and that is not going to happen this weekend, it’s going to be a proper Test match and it will be fought in the trenches.
“Error rate and who can control territory. If you make mistakes, you need to make sure it is in the opposition’s half. There are certain things that the Wallabies need to work out, the lineout wasn’t good last weekend, the scrum got battered – although early in the second half they did show a bit of promise there.”
Jean de Villiers: ‘Underestimate this Springboks team at your own peril’
Wallabies scrum issues
Australia leaked penalties at scrum time against South Africa in the first Test match but De Villiers believes that the return of Bell will go a long way in rectifying their issues at the set-piece. However, the former centre does predict that it will be a long day at the office for another Wallaby front-rower.
“Angus Bell certainly strengthens the team, also Josh Nasser coming in, he is still a youngster and still finding his feet,” he said.
“It will be a harsh Test for him set-piece-wise, even though it is not our first choice front row but Jan-Hendrik Wessels is trying to prove himself as a loosehead and it will be tough for Nasser at hooker with that pressure from him.”
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