Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
South Africa will break with recent tradition and delay naming their team for the World Cup quarter-final against hosts France in Paris on Sunday as they mull over the starting team and how many ‘Bomb Squad’ forwards to pick among their replacements.
The Springboks have been regimented in naming their team four days before a test, but director of rugby Rassie Erasmus says there are still deliberations over whether to go with a 5-3, 6-2 or 7-1 split between forwards and backs on the bench.
They will name their team on Friday morning and reveal who will play at flyhalf between the mercurial Manie Libbok and the steady hand of Handre Pollard, as well as whether 2019 World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am will get a run at centre having been drafted into the squad last week as a medical replacement.
Erasmus has backed France captain Antoine Dupont to play after the scrumhalf resumed training this week following surgery on a facial fracture sustained against Namibia on Sept. 21.
Keeping out France will be one thing, but crossing their tryline another as France conceded the fewest points (32) in the group stage.
South Africa, second on the list, had only two more scored against them, but Erasmus had praise for the work of the hosts’ defence coach Shaun Edwards.
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