Springboks v All Blacks in Baltimore: Who will Rassie turn to for ser…

The Springboks look set to unleash Handré Pollard and Canan Moodie, as well as a couple of players returning from injury, in the fourth and final Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, USA, this coming weekend. slot-chickenroad.org

This, after the Boks went 2-1 up in the series with a hard-fought 29-24 win in the third Test at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Kolbe out

The Boks, who stated in the buildup to the Test that they viewed it as a type of World Cup knockout game, made just one injury-enforced change to their matchday-23 for the match. It paid off as the Boks, who won the World Cup in 2019 and 2023 under Rassie Erasmus, now take an unassailable lead into this weekend’s finale.

But, it looks like Erasmus will now make a few changes to his matchday squad, as the world champions go on the hunt for a third straight win over their biggest rivals and the overall series win.

Damian Willemse, whose hamstring strain forced him to miss the Soweto Test, and the only change to the matchday squad from the second Test, is fully fit and likely to retake his spot at fullback. Cheslin Kolbe, who filled in for Willemse at 15 in the third Test, will however stay at home after breaking his jaw early in the game on Saturday.

Flyhalf Pollard, who’s struggled with injuries recently and missed the second Test after being named to play, will probably be backed to start at 10 in Baltimore.

Scrumhalf Grant Williams, who started the first Test but then was injured in the game, is also likely to return to action, but whether he starts or plays off the bench is the big question. Erasmus might be inclined to give the No 9 jersey to Morné van den Berg, who played so well from off the bench on Saturday.

Moving into starting team?

It will also be interesting to see where Erasmus slots Moodie in. He could play on the wing, but it is unlikely Kurt-Lee Arendse or Ethan Hooker will be dropped, or outside centre in place of Jesse Kriel, who has played all three Tests up to now.

Players such as hybrid André Esterhuizen, Lood de Jager, Cameron Hanekom and Manie Libbok, who have all only played off the bench in the series so far, might also come into consideration for starting spots.

The players in the larger squad who aren’t travelling to the USA are props Carlu Sadie, Boan Venter, and Ntuthuko Mchunu, as well as utility forwards Cobus Wiese and Ben-Jason Dixon.

“We will assess the injuries, start planning and then it’s number one against number two again,” said Erasmus, looking ahead to the next day or two. “It’s the greatest rivalry and we are playing to win the series, and they will try and draw the series.”

Out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne can “still make a positive contribution”, chief Australia selector George Bailey said Monday, after the struggling batsman was thrown a lifeline for the Test tour of South Africa.

Number three Labuschagne has failed to score a century since 2023 and flopped again in two home Tests against Bangladesh last month with scores of one, 31 and four.

He was subsequently axed from Australia’s squad for three one-dayers in Zimbabwe and another three in South Africa preceding the Tests.

But selectors opted against a red-ball change for what will be the team’s first Test series in South Africa since the infamous “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

“(We’re) not shying away from the fact that we’d like some more runs from Marn … but we’re also confident that he can still make a positive contribution to that squad,” Bailey said.

“Our batting group in its entirety, not just Marn, probably hasn’t been functioning as successfully as we would like.”

Asked if the South Africa series would be Labuschagne’s last chance, Bailey dodged the question.

“No, I wouldn’t say that. But again, it’s a hypothetical, isn’t it?” he said.

Cooper Connolly, Matthew Kuhnemann and Michael Neser were also included in a 16-man squad which was otherwise unchanged form the last Bangladesh Test.

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All-rounder Connolly’s selection is another indication that the 23-year-old is seen as a long-term prospect while Kuhnemann was preferred to Todd Murphy as the second spinner behind Nathan Lyon.

Neser, who like Labuschagne was born in South Africa, provides back-up for the pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

Bailey said Connolly was primarily chosen for his batting, most likely as a middle order option but potentially as high as three.

“His overall development will continue to expand his ability to bat in a range of positions,” he said.

Australia travel to Durban for the first Test on October 9 before the series moves to Gqeberha and Cape Town.

Only Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon, Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw survive from their last Test series in South Africa, when Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were all sent home in shame.

Smith was banned for a year and sacked as captain after conspiring to alter the ball using sandpaper during the third Test in Cape Town, while the now-retired Warner, considered the ringleader, was suspended for 12 months and stripped of all leadership roles.

Australia Test squad:

Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

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