Bok coach Rassie Erasmus is considering utilising hooker Schalk Brits as an option at No 8 if the need to rest other loose-forwards arises during the pool stage at the World Cup.
Brits was selected as one of the three hookers in South Africa’s 31-man squad, but according to Rapport newspaper Erasmus has indicated he will play the 38-year-old at the back of the scrum in the pool game against Namibia.
‘I know people will laugh about it, but even a guy like Schalk could end up in the loose trio to give us a chance to manage our players,’ Erasmus said.
‘Some of the games are played only four or five days apart and you can’t play Siya [Kolisi], Duane [Vermeulen] and Pieter-Steph [du Toit] again and again.’
‘Players who need to rest should not even be on the bench. We have chosen the World Cup squad in such a way that certain players will sometimes be able to be completely off. So in some of the games, a guy like Schalk can even play eighthman.’
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