Rassie Erasmus makes major Springboks change ahead of second All Blacks Test
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Greatest Rivalry.
Rassie Erasmus has made a significant change to his preparations for the second Test against the All Blacks, with the Springboks boss set to return to his policy of naming his team early in the week.
South Africa will reveal their matchday 23 for Saturday’s clash in Cape Town on Monday, just two days after suffering a 33-16 defeat to New Zealand at Ellis Park.
It marks a change from the build-up to the opening Test, when Erasmus waited until Thursday to confirm his side as the Springboks monitored the fitness of several players.
Erasmus is reverting to a more familiar approach as the Springboks look to respond immediately to their opening defeat.
The world champions were beaten five tries to one in Johannesburg despite dominating large periods of the contest at scrum time.
New Zealand were far more clinical with the opportunities that came their way, while South Africa were hurt by handling errors, turnovers and late disciplinary issues as the visitors pulled clear to secure a convincing 33-16 victory.
The result means Erasmus’ side now need to win the remaining three Tests if they are to claim the four-match series outright.
Attention will therefore turn immediately to Monday’s selection, with Erasmus facing some major calls over how much he changes following the Ellis Park defeat.
The second Test takes place at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, August 29, before the series moves to Johannesburg and Baltimore for the final two Tests.
