Springboks: Duane Vermeulen makes bold claim ahead of second Test with Wallabies

Despite starting their Rugby Championship campaign with a convincing win over the Wallabies in Brisbane, Springboks assistant coach Duane Vermeulen has revealed that personnel changes are likely ahead of Saturday’s rematch in Perth.

The world champions were in a rampant mood in their tournament opener as they crossed for five tries in their bonus-point triumph, but former Springbok number eight and current SA Rugby Mobi-unit coach Vermeulen believes a few alterations may be beneficial to the side.

“We have a squad of 33 players here and ideally we’d like to use them all because we need the players to stay in top form, not only for the competition, but also in the case of injuries,” said the 38-year-old.

‘Might be a few changes to the team’

“So, there might be a few changes to the team, but it’s up to the coaches to select the most suitable team for the weekend. This is a big game for us because we left a lot of tries out there, so it certainly wasn’t a perfect game, and hopefully we can bring a new energy this weekend.”

Although the Springboks dominated most facets of play, Vermeulen believes there is still plenty of room for improvement in the world champions’ ranks and said they will continue to strive to produce a perfect display.

“The scrums were good last week,” he said. “We earned a few penalties and got some advantage from that area, but I’m sure Taniela Tupou will start this week and bring a new dynamic to their pack.

“In terms of the lineouts, we lost two, and we’ll continue to work towards the perfect lineout.

Springboks reveal ‘new plans’ in the works after ‘special win’ over Wallabies

“On the downside, we left quite a few chances out there and we were pinned at some defensive breakdowns, so there are a few areas we need to be sharper in going forward.

“We are working closely with Jaco Peyper (national laws advisor) and the referees going into this match, so we can improve our performance this weekend.”

When asked whether another impressive display could give the Boks a boost in their bid to win the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019, especially after the All Blacks suffered a shock loss against Argentina in the first round, Vermeulen was careful not to look too far ahead.

‘Still early days’

“It’s still early days,” he said. “New Zealand also selected a few young players compared to the side they played in the Rugby World Cup, so they’ll probably make some changes this week.

“From our perspective, obviously the last game put us in a good position (to compete for the title), but there’s still a long way to go.”

The former Bok number eight was delighted to be part of the world champions’ management team and said he’s enjoying every moment of the opportunity.

“It’s been an easy transition (from a player to management member) because I only played a year ago,” said Vermeulen. “It’s nice to still be in the mix. I’ve been learning from the coaches because they see things from a different angle, so I’ve really been enjoying this journey.”

After serving as a waterboy in the last few Tests, Vermeulen added: “There’s a lot more to being a waterboy than simply carrying water. There’s a lot of communication in the role, and to be the link between the players and coaches is great. It’s a position I’m enjoying.”

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