Rugby World Cup: South Africa finds its executives for Italy

Shizuoka (Japan) (AFP)

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has chosen to recall most of his executives to face Italy in Shizuoka on Friday in a decisive match for qualifying for the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

After lining up their reservists against Namibia, swept (57-3), on September 28, Erasmus returned to a classic composition, close to that lined up in the loss to the All Blacks (23-13) opening a week earlier.

The only exceptions are the second line where Lood de Jager, convincing against Namibia for his return, takes his place at the expense of Mostert, while the pillar Tendai Mtawarira and hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi were preferred to Steven Kitshoff and Malcom Marx who will begin as substitutes.

Obviously eager to focus on conquest and fighting, Erasmus chose to place six forwards and two three-quarters on the bench.

Composition of the Springbok team:

Roux - Kolbe, Am, of Allende, Mapimpi - (o) Pollard, (m) Klerk - Roof PS, Vermeulen, Kolisi (Cape) - De Jager, Etzebeth - Malherbe, Mbonambi, Mtawarira

Alternates: Marx, Kitshoff, Koch, Snyman, Mostert, Louw, H. Jantjies, F. Steyn

© 2019 AFP