Springbok lock Lood de Jager will remain with the national squad in Europe to assist with preparations for their upcoming clash against Ireland, despite receiving a four-match ban that has ended his 2024 season. This decision ensures the experienced forward continues to contribute off the field....Click to Read More >>➤

De Jager was shown a red card during the hard-fought encounter against France last weekend, resulting in a disciplinary hearing and subsequent suspension. The Springboks continue their tour with a match against Italy this Saturday, followed by fixtures against Ireland and Wales.

Head coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed the plan for De Jager during the team announcement on Thursday. The squad will utilize his experience and knowledge as they build towards the critical Ireland game in Dublin.

Erasmus on the Suspension

When questioned about his feelings regarding the ban, Erasmus maintained a pragmatic perspective. He referenced previous disciplinary cases involving other players, emphasizing the team’s need to accept the official outcome and move forward.

“As I have said with past decisions on Makazole Mapimpi and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, it is what it is,” Erasmus stated. “It’s Lood’s decision now on whether he will appeal that decision, and I think he will make that call in the next day or two.”

The coach confirmed that regardless of an appeal, De Jager’s presence is valued. “But (regardless), he is going to stay with us here and help us prepare for Ireland. Obviously that is a big game for us, even though Italy is at hand and first up. But we would have loved to have Lood available for the Irish Test match.”

A Pattern of Missed Big Games

Erasmus expressed sympathy for the veteran lock, noting a recurring theme in his career. He highlighted that De Jager has often been unavailable for significant matches due to circumstances beyond his control.

“It’s quite ironic. Lood has often missed big games, either through injury or other things,” Erasmus explained. “I think only once in his rugby career has he got an off-field red card, so we are sad for him, because he is a guy who has gone through a hell of a lot, not just in his personal life but in his rugby career as well, and missing out on a big Test match against Ireland next weekend isn’t great.”

The coaching staff has decided against calling up a replacement, confident in their current squad depth. “We have to accept that. We won’t call-up anybody else. We have 33 guys in the camp and we feel we have enough locks to cover us.”

Preparing for the Italian Breakdown Threat

Looking ahead to the immediate challenge, Erasmus pinpointed the breakdown as a critical battleground against Italy. He acknowledged that the Azzurri outplayed the Springboks in this area during their July internationals and carried that form into a recent victory over Australia.

“They are really good at the breakdown. We didn’t only get frustrated, but were outplayed at the breakdown by them (in July),” Erasmus admitted.

He provided a telling statistic to underscore the challenge. “In the one game (against the Boks) they had 66 bites at the breakdown, that just shows how focused they are and that they know when to do it (attack the breakdown) really well. So that is something we will try and sort out, but it will be tough.”

For the Italy match, the Springboks have selected Jean Kleyn and Franco Mostert as the starting locks. RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje will provide cover from the bench, with Eben Etzebeth being rested for this fixture. The team will rely on this combination to counter Italy’s strengths as they build momentum for the pivotal Ireland clash. ...Click to Read More >>➤