Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has delivered a largely positive injury update following South Africa’s impressive 66-7 victory over Italy in Turin on Saturday.
The world champions opened their Nations Championship Northern Series campaign in emphatic fashion, but there was one late injury concern before kick-off involving lock Salmaan Moerat.
Moerat was forced to withdraw from the starting line-up after experiencing back spasms, giving Lood de Jager an opportunity to start the Test. Franco Mostert was subsequently brought onto the bench.
Moerat suffers back spasms before Italy Test
Erasmus explained that Moerat had experienced discomfort earlier in the week, but the coaching staff initially expected the problem to settle before the match.
“He had a little bit of a back spasm on Thursday, but we thought it would clear up,” Erasmus said.
Although Moerat appeared to be recovering during the captain’s practice, the problem returned during the warm-up, forcing the team to make a late adjustment.
“He looked good at the captain’s practice, but unfortunately in the warm-up he got more back spasms, so hopefully it’s not too serious,” Erasmus added.
The coach confirmed that Moerat was the only casualty from the Italy encounter and that there were no other serious injuries reported from the match.
Yaqeen Ahmed still dealing with shoulder problem
While the senior Springbok squad emerged from the Italy clash without further major injury concerns, young flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed is still struggling with a sore shoulder.
His condition remains another issue to monitor as South Africa prepares for a demanding run of fixtures against some of Europe’s leading rugby nations.
The Springboks will need their squad depth as they continue their Nations Championship campaign, particularly with France and Ireland waiting in the coming weeks.
Erasmus demands improvement despite 66-7 win
Despite the convincing scoreline against Italy, Erasmus was quick to remind his players that tougher challenges lie ahead.
South Africa scored 45 points in the first half before adding another 21 after the break. However, the coach admitted that the performance was not perfect.
He acknowledged that Italy responded strongly after the interval and that substitutions affected the Springboks’ rhythm.
Erasmus nevertheless praised the team’s overall effort, saying the performance was encouraging after the squad had spent a month apart.
He also warned that South Africa would need to improve considerably to compete against France and Ireland.
Springboks’ upcoming Nations Championship fixtures
The Springboks now turn their attention to two major away Tests as they look to build on their dominant opening performance.
- Friday, 13 November: France vs Springboks
- Venue: Stade de France, Paris
- Kick-off: 22:10
- Saturday, 21 November: Ireland vs Springboks
- Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
- Kick-off: 18:40
- 27–29 November: Nations Championship Finals Weekend
- Venue: Twickenham Stadium, London
- Kick-off: To be confirmed
With Moerat’s recovery and Ahmed’s shoulder problem still worth monitoring, Erasmus will be hoping to have as many players available as possible for the upcoming Tests.
The victory over Italy was an excellent start, but the real test of South Africa’s progress will come against France and Ireland.
Will the Springboks maintain their winning momentum against France, or will the next challenge prove much tougher?
