South Africa’s fielding of a second‑string team for their Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies shouldn’t be seen as a sign of disrespect, according to Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus.
The Springboks named three debutants in their squad, including starting halfback Herschel Jantjies, to face the Wallabies at Ellis Park on Sunday morning.
Only half a dozen of the line‑up could be considered first‑choice players, while a group of 15 have already departed for New Zealand to prepare for the Test against All Blacks in Wellington next weekend.
Erasmus says his selections were forced by the travel schedule.
He also said it was also about giving match time to as many players as possible ahead of the World Cup starting in Japan in September.
The Wallabies meet the Springboks at 3.05am Sunday while the All Blacks clash with Argentina at 6.05am Sunday.
Source: TVNZ
