Uzair leads No 8 race
SPRINGBOKS: CASSIEM, BOSCH SET TO TAKE ON PUMAS
Hougie on standby as Cronje remains in doubt to take part in Rugby Championship opener against the South Americans.
Aplace in the match 23 for rookie flyhalf star Curwin Bosch and a start for makeshift No 8 Uzair Cassiem. These could be two of the big calls Springbok coach Allister Coetzee lays on the table when he announces his team today for the Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in the Friendly City at the weekend.
Coetzee will have to make two other big calls – giving Coenie Oosthuizen a rare start at tighthead in place of the injured Frans Malherbe, while Cassiem will add grunt along with Jean-Luc du Preez on the blindside flank.
With doubt over loosehead Beast Mtawarira’s neck injury, Steven Kitshoff could also be handed a first start.
And with Frans Steyn not part of the current squad, Coetzee could look at Bosch as the backup to Elton Jantjies, while there is still concern over scrumhalf Ross Cronje’s shoulder injury.
Should Cronje not make it, Francois Hougaard could start again with Rudy Paige added to the bench.
Coetzee will also have to decide what the ideal balance on his bench will look like as he has to leave one of Lood de Jager or Pieter-Steph du Toit out, unless he decides there’s no room for the powerful Jaco Kriel or Dan du Preez.
Backline coach Franco Smith said they won’t gamble with Cronje if he has not fully recovered.
“Ross has been training well on Monday and Tuesday morning and once he has taken more contact we’ll have a much clearer idea,” he said.
“But the whole backline unit has been practising well and have recovered well from the bumps and bruises that we had.”
Smith said Argentina are a side who play to their strengths and create a lot of one-on-ones.
“They like to open the game up and it will be important for us to be ready for the challenge. Their first phase will definitely be a big match for us,” he said.
“We’ll have to work hard in settling down in our own systems, they are a side who create something from nothing. So the message this week was to prepare for a full onslaught.”