Erasmus praises Beast milestone

BOK COACH: FOR A GUY TO GET TO 100 IS PHENOMENAL

Two or three subtle changes promised for Bloemfontein Test. Bloemfontein

Prop Tendai Mtawarira should be saluted on the eve of his 100th Test match for the Springboks in the second Test against England this weekend, believes national coach Rassie Erasmus.

Mtawarira, who made his debut 10 years ago in 2008 against Wales and incidentally also in Bloemfontein, will become the sixth player after Percy Montgomery, John Smit, Victor Matfield, Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana to achieve the milestone.

“How many guys have achieved that? I think I played 36 and for me that felt like a lot, so for a guy to get to 100 is phenomenal,” said Erasmus.

“He started at lock and then moved to flank, then to provincial level and then consolidated as a prop to play 100 Tests and what he brings to the party is great, he can be proud of himself and all of us can be,” said Erasmus.

After winning the first Test 4239 at Ellis Park at the weekend, Erasmus believes England coach Eddie Jones will tweak a few things, but said so will they.

One of the changes Erasmus is contemplating is starting with Thomas du Toit and give the “punchdrunk” Wilco Louw, as Erasmus called it, a rest.

“It’s very tempting to stick with the same guys and just make sure it gives us the best chance of winning on Saturday,” he said.

“But we will try a few other things. After this game there’s only 16 matches left until the World Cup, so there won’t be major changes, but there might be two or three subtle changes.

“We would like to bury the Test series and they would like to keep it alive, so both teams are going to be really desperate.

“It’s again at altitude and not as bad as Joburg but again it’s not like playing in Cape Town.

“The higher the pace the more intense it will be, so the intensity will be the same if not higher.”