Beleaguered Bok coach Erasmus says the time for experimenting is over

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that he will stop experimenting with the team at the end of the current Rugby Championship campaign.

In the seven matches he has been in charge‚ Erasmus has won three and lost four games.

He largely gave inexperienced players opportunities in that time‚ he says now the period of experimenting will come to an end next month.

Besides giving players experience‚ Erasmus has also tried out certain combinations to little success and that has infuriated the fans.

Erasmus said he would start picking a settled team when the Boks travel to Europe to play in the end of the year tour.

The Boks are scheduled to take on England‚ France‚ Scotland and Wales in November.

“I believe that at the end of the Rugby Championship‚ we will stop with the experiments and measuring of players‚" he said.

"In the end of the year tour to Europe‚ we will pick our strongest possible side every time and try to win at all costs‚” he said‚ adding that they tried to win matches while giving experience to some of the younger players over the past few months but it has not always worked out.

Players like Aphiwe Dyantyi‚ Wilco Louw‚ Lukhanyo Am‚ RG Snyman‚ Sibusiso Nkosi and Cheslin Kolbe benefitted from Erasmus’ process of building capacity and they have a chance of going to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

With his rotation policy‚ Erasmus has focused more on the No 10 position where Handrè Pollard and Elton Jantjies are fighting for a starting place‚ but it appears that he prefers the Bulls pivot over the Lions player.

In the loss to Australia in Brisbane last weekend‚ Erasmus started with Steven Kitshoff at loose head prop ahead of far more experienced Tendai Mtawarira and that will continue against the All Blacks this weekend.

He also gave an opportunity to hooker Bongi Mbonambi‚ even though he replaced him early in the game‚ but Malcolm Marx has regained his position in the starting line-up against the All Blacks this weekend.