Bok management just plain stubborn not changing it up against Italy

IF EVER there was a match to experiment in, it would have been the one against Italy.

So I don’t understand the Springbok coaching staff ’s stubborn refusal to do so.

For their match in Padova, coach Allister Coetzee made four changes to his match day squad. And that sounds like quite a few, but it’s nothing considering that two of those changes were enforced.

Up front, Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has recovered from the concussion he sustained against Ireland two weeks ago, replaces Siya Kolisi in the back row. The Stormers skipper returned to South Africa earlier this week for the birth of his second child.

The other change up front is in the front row, where Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi gets his first Test start in the place of the injured Malcolm Marx. During yesterday’s team announcement, Coetzee said that he doesn’t want to take any risks with Marx, who picked up a shoulder injury against France and is recovering from soft tissue bruising.

Bulls backline star Warrick Gelant and hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle are the two changes on the bench, with Damian de Allende dropping out of the matchday 23.

The rest of the team that scraped through against France remains the same. Eben Etzebeth returns to the second row and will resume his captaincy after picking up a lower leg injury in Paris.

How can a couple of changes be considered good enough?

The Springboks’ fixture in Padova is probably the one that can be considered the “easiest” of their end-of-year tour Tests, as their date with Wales – which falls outside of the international Test window on December 2 – can be expected to be ALSO INSIDE Can Titans be beaten? P29 EPL preview, P31 Chiefs back at Mabhida, P31 another tough task.

The Boks’ shocking record 38-3 defeat to Ireland and their poor display at Stade de France were never expected to go that badly, but did.

So, can things really get any worse? I doubt it. Unless they lose to the Azzurri again.

What is the point of “rewarding outstanding form” by including deserving players in the Springbok group, only to give them a nice overseas trip and not use them properly, or at al?

Yes, Gelant could make his Springbok debut should he come off the bench this weekend, and that’s nice. But that’s if he comes off the bench.

And what about Lukhanyo Am? There is still no sight of the exciting centre on the team sheet, and if you’ve seen him do his thing with the Sharks, you’d find his continued omission shocking. Also, if one looks at the man keeping him out – Jesse Kriel – the situation becomes quite ridiculous.