Springbok rookies to face Wales in US
Coach Rassie Erasmus chooses not to send established players for clash in Washington DC
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has kept most of his established internationals at home and selected seven new caps in an inexperienced side for Saturday’s clash with Wales at the Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington DC. Erasmus is primarily focused on the upcoming home series against England, which starts in Johannesburg on June 9, and opted not to send the majority of players likely to be involved in those three Tests to the US. The match also falls outside of the June international window, which restricted the South African coach from picking overseas-based players. Lock Pieter-Steph du Toit will captain a side that has just 134 Test caps and an average age of 24 among the starting XV. Wings Travis Ismaiel and Makazole Mapimpi will get their first outing in a Bok jersey, joining centre Andre Esterhuizen, scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl, Sevens veteran and flank Kwagga Smith, lock Jason Jenkins and prop Ox Nche. "As coaches, we are tremendously excited about the prospect of seein...
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