Bongi better suited to start quarter-final
Erasmus says his selection of Mbonambi ahead of Marx has more to do with the utilisation of the duo’s key strengths at certain intervals of the match.
Springboks’ coach Rassie Erasmus says he selected Bongi Mbonambi in the Boks’ starting lineup because the hooker is better suited to the game they want to employ in the quarter-final against Japan.
Mbonambi was named as the starting No 2 ahead of Malcolm Marx, who has had an indifferent World Cup campaign to date.
But Erasmus says his selection of Mbonambi ahead of Marx has more to do with the utilisation of the duo’s key strengths at certain intervals of the match, as opposed to the contrasting form they’ve exhibited at the tournament.
“They are great hookers, add Schalk Brits, and we’ve got three world-class hookers. The way we want to play against Japan, especially trying to keep up with the pace that they play at, Bongi is definitely the more physically brutal, scrummaging in-your-face hooker,” Erasmus explained.
Read the rest of the article on SA Rugby Mag.
