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The Springboks’ burgeoning lock stocks are part of the reason for Eben Etzebeth being left out of the side to face the All Blacks, says assistant coach Duane Vermeulen.
The double World Cup-winning lock started alongside the tireless Ruan Nortje against the All Blacks at Eden Park last Saturday. But when coach Rassie Erasmus announced his team on Monday, Etzebeth was a notable absentee.
South African lock stocks are healthy at the moment, with Eben and Nortje among RG Snyman, Lood de Jager, Jean Kleyn and Franco Mostert, while Pieter-Steph du Toit can also fill in. With so much talent and the rigours of the virtually year-round rugby season very apparent, player rotation is necessary.
For the Wellington clash, Erasmus is starting Nortje and de Jager, with Snyman coming off the bench.
"You can't play a guy like Eben every week because he'll burn out," confirmed Vermuelen.
"We still want him to play for a few years, so one needs a little bit of rotation.
"We have an experienced guy like RG on the bench, who has played in big matches, and Ruan did well last year when he got the chance at a time when we had a few injuries at lock.
"It may seem a little weird to have two No. 5 locks in the pack, but they've both played their part, and they know what they want to do. I also think it will be a good opportunity to see if these guys can make the step-up and play without Eben."
