Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus reveals World Cup hand

Rassie Erasmus has shown his World Cup hand by clarifying exactly what seems to be his first team to the Springboks’ World Cup warm-up against Japan.
The group shows one change from the starting XV that drew in Wellington in July, a result that paved the way for the initial Rugby Championship title in last couple of years of South Africa.
Even the Springboks take on their older rivals in Yokohama in their tournament opener on September 21, and the unwanted Erasmus termed for Friday’s warm-up appears likely to be the one to select the area in just two weeks’ time as the Boks go in search of a third World Cup title.
Skipper Siya Kolisi preferred to Kwagga Smith at flank is seen by the shift to that Wellington team. Kolisi was injured for the Rugby Championship effort of South Africa but made his own return in their penultimate World Cup warm-up from Argentina in Pretoria.
Duane Vermeulen and Pieter-Steph du Toit, making his 50th Test appearance joins at the spine kolisi. Du Toit’s first launch at the Green and Gold came against Japan from the 2015 World Cup, when the Springboks endured the greatest shock in the championship’s history at a 34-32 reduction in Brighton.
While Erasmus may be giving his team a run-out before they take on the All Blacks, Erasmus explained the side signifies how desperate the Boks are to prevent another embarrassing defeat.
“it is my hope that this choice will send a strong message that we have the utmost regard for Japan,” said Erasmus.
“Maybe we made the error of complacency against them in the past but we have been beating the message that we shouldn’t ever do this against Japan.
“They’re a smart team of athletes that are great, playing at home, having won a title in the past month and desperate to demonstrate something. This Evaluation is just too big a challenge as any we’ve had this season.
“They even made a film about the last time they played us it’s our job to make certain that there’s no sequel.”
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 1 Steven Kitshoff, two Malcolm Marx, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies 23 Jesse Kriel.

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