Rassie Erasmus Praises 4 Springboks Stars After 43–0 Win Against Wales in Durban

• Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus singled out four uncapped players after a commanding Nations Championship victory over Wales
• 20-year-old Vusi Moyo became the youngest fly-half to represent the Springboks at Test level, drawing particular attention from Erasmus
• Erasmus revealed why he substituted Moyo early in the second half and outlined what the team is building towards next

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus reserved special praise for four debutants after South Africa's 43-0 Nations Championship victory over Wales in Durban on Saturday, saying the result and the performances gave him confidence in the team's growing depth.

Wing Jaco Williams crossed for a try and contributed to another, while prop Carlu Sadie impressed in the scrums and lock Ruben van Heerden was dominant at lineout time.

However, it was 20-year-old fly-half Vusi Moyo who attracted the most attention, becoming the youngest player to wear the number 10 jersey for the Springboks at Test level at just 20 years and 27 days old.

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Erasmus on Moyo's debut

Moyo gave up his place in the Junior Springboks squad at the Under-20 World Championship in Georgia for the chance to feature for the senior side this month, and Erasmus indicated the decision paid off.

"He definitely played well," Erasmus said. "You could see there were nerves. I thought he handled it extremely well. But I've been there; in your first or second Test, you're tired because of the nerves, and I thought his battery was a bit flat in the second half when we took him off."

Moyo was replaced by Manie Libbok early in the second half.

Depth the priority for Erasmus

Erasmus also singled out several players who made the most of their opportunities in the 23-man matchday squad, praising the contributions of the Wiese brothers, reserve hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, and forwards Paul de Villiers and Ben-Jason Dixon. He commended the physical impact of Cobus and Jasper Wiese, while also applauding the lineout unit for delivering a flawless performance.

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Erasmus noted that both hookers were accurate with their throwing, Andre-Hugo Venter impressed with a composed display, and debutant Ruben van Heerden adapted well to Test rugby. He also praised the front row, acknowledging the efforts of Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Sadie), Gerhard Steenekamp, Malcolm Marx, Wilco Louw and Jan-Hendrik Wessels in the scrums.

The Springbok coach emphasised that those performances were particularly significant given the absence of established stars such as Bongi Mbonambi and Ox Nche, saying the team's growing depth was a major positive.

Erasmus added that while the 43-0 victory was pleasing, he was equally encouraged by the displays of players who are not regular starters. He referenced squad leaders such as Malcolm Marx, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Aphelele Fassi ("Gazza"), Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Ethan Hooker as examples of the quality already available, stressing that the objective is to continue strengthening depth across every position.

The Springboks will return to action against Argentina in Buenos Aires in two weeks before turning their attention to the eagerly awaited Greatest Rugby Rivalry series against New Zealand's All Blacks.

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Source: Briefly News