South Africa Strengthens its Frontline to Face Ireland
The South Africa rugby team has reinforced its forward pack ahead of the crucial match against Ireland in Dublin this weekend. The team has called up hooker Bongi Mbonambi and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu. The “Boks” were reduced to 14 players for the second consecutive time on Saturday, after the red card shown to Franco Mostert against Italy. The expulsion was due to an infringement in a tackle, which forced the coaching staff to make early changes to balance the scrum. Furthermore, Lood de Jager’s suspension, also due to a red card in the match against France, has increased the need for reinforcements.Erasmus added that both players have proven their worth on the international stage and that the team is excited to have them back. In addition, he anticipated that several players will not be available for the last test against Wales, as the match will be played outside the international period. South Africa has won all three of its matches on this tour of the UK and Europe so far, and is preparing for a challenge against Ireland, who are coming off a convincing victory against Australia. Damian Willemse, named Player of the Match against Italy, spoke about the challenge in Ireland:This is a longer tour than usual, and we have two big matches against Ireland and Wales, which motivated the decision to call up Bongi and Ntuthuko.
Rassie Erasmus, South Africa Head Coach
Willemse also highlighted Ireland’s quality as a world-class team and the need for thorough preparation for the match. The match will start at 5:40pm (UK time), 7:40pm (South Africa time).This group of players has not yet won at the Aviva Stadium, and that is definitely our goal. We want to deliver a great performance, but it will be a huge match.
Damian Willemse
