South Africa calls up Lood de Jager for crucial match against Argentina
The South African rugby team has called up second-row Lood de Jager for their final Rugby Championship match, facing Argentina in London. The decision was made following the absence of Franco Mostert, who was unable to travel due to a family matter. De Jager, who did not participate in last Saturday’s victory against Los Pumas in Durban due to an injury, has recovered and is ready for the trip to Twickenham, where he will replace Mostert.After the Sunday night trip, the Springboks returned to training. Erasmus commented that the team did not feel the effects of the trip. Erasmus highlighted that the trip to London was good and, being a night flight, the players rested well and seem fresh and ready to return to action. In addition, he noted that the time zone similar to that of South Africa facilitates the adaptation of the players. The coach added that it is a crucial match and that Argentina will seek a strong finish in the tournament. In turn, South Africa has the opportunity to win the championship for the second consecutive year, which represents an additional motivation. South Africa currently leads the ranking with one point ahead of New Zealand, which has 14 points. Australia is in third place with 11 points, while Argentina is in last position with nine points.We deeply regret what happened to Franco and wish him strength in this difficult moment; we will support him in every way we can. Fortunately, Lood has recovered from his injury, and his experience and leadership will be valuable in such an important week for the team.
Rassie Erasmus, Springboks Coach
