Erasmus blessed with options as World Cup gang get back together

Erasmus could have as many as 12 of the team which started the World Cup final win over New Zealand for the first test against Ireland.

Manie Libbok catches the ball watched by Jasper Wiese during a South Africa training session in 2023. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Rassie Erasmus will name his South Africa team on Tuesday for Saturday’s first Test against Ireland in Pretoria and the Springboks head coach has plenty of selection issues to settle.

While the irascible Erasmus took to his X account at the weekend to stoke the fires by naming his Ireland matchday 23 for Loftus Versfeld and the first of this two-Test series, his own line-up is less clearcut.