Bongi better suited to start quarter-final
Coach Rassie Erasmus says he selected Bongi Mbonambi in the Boks’ starting lineup because the hooker is better suited to the game they want to employ in the quarter-final against Japan.
‘We’ve been honest from the outset’
Rassie Erasmus on telling eight players that they won’t feature in the quarter-final, while Matt Proudfoot comments on his valuable coaching stint in Japan.
Rassie’s power play will pay off
Rassie Erasmus’ gamble to back six forwards on the Springbok bench will pay off against Japan and later in the tournament, writes JON CARDINELLI in Tokyo.
De Jager to lock down for Springboks
Lood de Jager will start ahead of Franco Mostert in the Springboks’ second row for their quarter-final against Japan in Tokyo on Sunday.
Rassie: Forwards favoured because of versatility
Coach Rassie Erasmus says he went with a 6-2 split on the Boks’ bench for the quarter-final against Japan because of the South African forwards’ versatility.
‘Japan don’t have forward firepower to beat Boks’
Former Springbok assistant coach Brendan Venter believes that Japan won’t be able to dominate the Boks’ forward pack during Sunday’s quarter-final in Tokyo.
Boks have laid a formidable foundation
Rassie Erasmus’ investment in a wider group of players will reap significant benefits in the short and long term, writes JON CARDINELLI.
Watch: ‘Japan deserve their ranking’
We look at what happened in Tokyo on Monday and Tuesday as the Springboks build toward their quarter-final clash with Japan.
‘The Brighton loss has been erased’
Rassie Erasmus on Japan’s progression to the quarter-finals, their strengths as a cohesive unit and how conditions might affect the contest on Sunday.
Boks can’t afford to look beyond Japan
Japan will pose a unique threat to the more-fancied Springboks in the quarter-final on Sunday, writes JON CARDINELLI in Tokyo.
