Revealed: The ‘bomb squad’ bench split for Springboks’ semi-final

The countdown has already begun to the Springboks’ semi-final against England, which will kick off at 21:00 on Saturday. The winner of this match will face New Zealand or Argentina, who play on Friday night.

ALSO READ: Opinion: Etzebeth will finish as the greatest Springbok of all time

It’s clear that the Springboks will be looking to mix up their selections for the battle against England, which they expect to be dramatically different to what the freestyling French offered this past weekend.

ALSO READ: Springboks soar to No 1 in World Rugby rankings!

SPRINGBOKS WILL NAME THEIR TEAM ON THURSDAY

During the World Cup so far, the Springboks have opted for a 7-1, 6-2 and 5-3 bench split, and Rassie Erasmus has now indicated which option they will prefer against England.

“It’s tough to weigh up the seven-one split with Manie (Libbok) and Handre (Pollard) being ready now,” Erasmus said. “Giving Handre and Faf a start is very tempting, but in having Willie in the 23 may push a guy like Damian out and he’s the guy who covers 10, 12, and 15 for us.

“I think the six-two is more likely because two fully fit flyhalves may need to be available and you need to have a nine on the bench as well.

“From now on, we’re trying to pick the best team that we can feel can hang in there for three games. Some teams went and picked their best team for every single game and that’s a bit tough,” Erasmus added.

“Recovery is very important now and there’s 13 days left of the World Cup, and we’ve been together for 18 weeks. I don’t think anybody is going to become stronger, fitter, or faster in the next 13 days, so recovery and accuracy in training in this coming period is going to be important.”

ALSO READ: When the Springboks will name team for England semi-final

CHECK OUT THE RUGBY WORLD CUP FIXTURES BELOW: