Unsurprisingly, there is no room for nostalgia.
Rassie Erasmus, Munster’s former director of rugby, will not be with the South Africa A side for their clash with the province at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Thursday night. After the Springboks’ defeat to Ireland and with a clash with France in Paris lurking on the horizon, Erasmus has foregone an opportunity for a Munster reunion under the opinion his efforts are needed with the senior side.
“The main priority is the Springboks,” explained South Africa A head coach Mzwandile Stick upon his team announcement. “Rassie felt that he needed to be in the Springbok camp with them in France to make sure we turn things around.
“We were really close to winning the game against Ireland, it was tough but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done on that team. It would have been nice to have him with his experience, we know the impact he has on players, but we have other coaches around myself.”
As for Stick’s squad, two former Munstermen return to take on their old employers. Thomas du Toit, who made six appearances for the province in the 2016-17 season, captains the side at tighthead prop, while Leinster’s Jason Jenkins scrums down behind him in the secondrow. It is the second time in a number of weeks Jenkins faces Munster after lining out for Leinster against them at the Aviva – his number of games against Thursday’s opponents quickly catching up to the number he played for them in an injury-curtailed spell.
Jenkins and du Toit are among 14 capped Springboks that Stick has available to him. Notable names include Joseph Dweba at hooker, with Herschel Jantjies and Johan Goosen in the halfbacks, while Aphelele Fassi starts at fullback; the latter scored a double on his latest appearance on Irish soil when playing for the Sharks against Leinster at the RDS this season.
“The last time I worked with him was in 2018 when he made his debut for the Springboks,” said Stick on Jenkins, whose form with Leinster has been rewarded with some form of international recognition. “You have seen the growth in his game already, how he also conducts himself, he’s already taken a leadership role in the team.
“As a coach, I’m privileged to have those experienced guys in the squad, a total of 14 Springboks in the team. These are the guys that will drive the game and allow those X-factor players on the outside to have their freedom. Jason knows the conditions very well, he knows Munster very well and he’s very important in his partnership he’s got with Ruan Nortje next to him.”
[ Rugby in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on a winter’s evening - what took us so long?Opens in new window ]
Between Jenkins and du Toit, not to mention former Munster coaches Jaques Nienaber and Erasmus in the Springbok set-up, there should be knowledge of Munster’s history with international tour games. There’s a reason they can sell out a 45,000-seater Páirc Uí Chaoimh when most of their big guns are away with Ireland. Their list of scalps already includes the All Blacks in 1978 and the Maori All Blacks in 2016.
“We had to go deep into the history of these games,” acknowledged Stick. “If you look at the history, these games with the international sides, they give everything they’ve got.
“We’ve presented that history to the players to understand the challenge that lies ahead of them.”
South Africa A: Aphelele Fassi; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Henco van Wyk, Cornal Hendricks, Leolin Zas; Johan Goosen, Herschel Jantjies; Ntuthuko Nchunu, Joseph Dweba, Thomas du Toit (capt); Jason Jenkins, Ruan Nortje; Phepsi Buthelezi, Elrigh Louw, Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Simphiwe Matanzima, Sazi Sandi, Dan du Preez, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Grant Williams, Sanele Nohamba, Gianni Lombard.
