Rassie Erasmus confident in Bok depth despite injury setbacks

By Ncube Harrison

Rassie Erasmus confident in Bok depth despite injury setbacks

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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has praised South Africa's player depth despite being dealt a series of injury blows.

The Boks emerged from their resounding win over New Zealand in Wellington with several casualties, including Aphelele Fassi, Lood de Jager, and Jean-Luc du Preez.

Fassi left the field before half-time, later spotted in a moon boot. De Jager lasted just nine minutes before another shoulder issue forced him off, while Du Preez picked up a knee injury during training that is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the year.

While admitting the injuries were a setback, Erasmus emphasised that the squad's adaptability is a strength.

"This group has been together for 13 weeks, and they've shown they are the right players for this task against Argentina," Erasmus said.

"We've already used 46 players in our last eight matches, and that rotation has paid off. Younger and older players are pushing each other daily in training, and we're confident in our depth."

The Bok coach also pointed to the large pool of players exposed to the system through alignment camps, making replacements easier to integrate.

Erasmus highlighted South Africa's wealth of versatile players, capable of slotting into multiple roles if required.

"As sad as we are for Lood, Jean-Luc, Aphelele, Kurt-Lee, and the others, we are blessed with talent in this country," he said.

"Many of our players can cover more than one position, and that flexibility is invaluable at this stage of the campaign."

Attention now shifts to the Rugby Championship double-header against Argentina. The Pumas moved up to sixth in the world rankings following their narrow victory over Australia in Sydney and have beaten South Africa in Santiago del Estero as recently as last year.

"The Pumas are a tough, physical outfit," Erasmus warned.

"They'll come here confident after beating Australia and New Zealand, and they play with guts and passion. It's going to take two great performances to overcome them."

With all four teams still in contention, Erasmus underlined the fine margins that could decide this year's Rugby Championship.

"There is no margin for error now. Every point matters, and any of the four teams can still win the competition," he said.

"Our goal is clear: two big performances and hopefully retaining the title."

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